


Do Not Go Gentle - Book 3 - Look to the Future

by auburnimp, zheyrryhn



Category: Weiß Kreuz
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Multi, Public Sex, Sex Toys, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-10
Updated: 2013-02-22
Packaged: 2017-11-28 20:15:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 88,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/678476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/auburnimp/pseuds/auburnimp, https://archiveofourown.org/users/zheyrryhn/pseuds/zheyrryhn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The enlarged Schwarz return to their own time and take on the might of Rosenkreuz and Kritiker.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Co-written with zheyrrhyn

Schwarz broke the circle immediately and scrambled to take up positions. The transition through time and space had been much smoother this time, partly due to Yohji letting Aya take what he needed instead of forcing power into him and partly due to the training they’d both received, so it was a less disoriented team that were prepared to take on Terror. 

Farfarello ran for the door, Ken on his heels, the pair of close in fighters planning to take the battle to the Rosenkruez agents outside, both of them armed with their weapons of choice, Ken with his new matched bugnucks, Farfarello with his new toy, the forearm long Bowie knife he'd gotten in Sacramento. 

Brad remained where he was, struggling with the flood of images, visions filling his mind as his power caught up with their current here and now. 

Yohji started to put a hand on the man's shoulder and thought better of it. "Protect them both, Zeshin," he admonished the boy. 

Zeshin nodded as he came out from under the desk. 

Crawford shook his head, "Stay there," he told Zeshin. 

Kai sprang to his feet and ran after Ken and Farfarello his sai already in his hands. 

Aya reached into his coat pocket and drew out the revolver nestled there. It might not be a modern gun but he’d grown fond of it and it would do the job just as well. He made for a window, crouching down under the sill. 

Schuldig was mentally concentrating on Nightmare, preventing him from sending his waves of panic and horror to disorient them all. 

Nagi took a quick look around and spotted Terror’s telekinetic through one of the windows at the back of the house. Taking in a deep breath he trans-located. 

The agents backing the Rosenkreuz kill-team rushed the house, laying down a suppressive fire to force the Schwarz team to keep their heads down and worry about being nailed by a hail of lead. It was a distraction intended to keep them from being able to focus on the talents they were aiding. 

Unfortunately for them, they hadn't counted on several factors. 

First and foremost was the power of a pissed off pyrokinetic backed by an equally annoyed Berserker intent on getting his horse back in the shortest possible time relative to himself. 

The pair of men hit the gunmen in a whirlwind of fire and severed body parts, spilled guts and terror that had nothing to do with the team they were supporting and everything to do with the grim reality of the improved and even deadlier version of Schwarz that Oracle now had at his command. 

Yohji put a hand on Schuldig and let Mastermind draw power from him. 

Schuldig grinned at him. “This one’s for you, Yohji,” he said then attacked. 

Outside there was an agonized shriek of pain as Nightmare's shields collapsed under Mastermind's assault. 

Terror's telekinetic was just getting ready to hurl a large ornamental urn at the nearest window when he saw motion from the corner of his eye. He started to turn, the urn shuddering into the air, ready to hurl it at any threat. 

The urn smashed into a thousand pieces as Nagi crushed it. “You’ll have to do better than that,” he said with a smirk. 

The patio tiles under Nagi's feet heaved upward. 

Nagi jumped and teleported forward letting his power go and using it to crush the other telekinetic. There was a cut off gurgle then nothing. 

Aya raised his head above the sill and picked off several more of the Rosenkreuz agents that Ken and Farfarello had missed. A wavering figure caught his eye. Phantasm and he was heading straight for Kai’s back. He fired but the bullet appeared to have no affect. “Fuck!” 

Brad stepped away from the desk, drawing his H&K .45 and turning to face a bedroom door. He held his hand in front of Zeshin's face, "You stay right there, don't move," he ordered. 

His gun came up and cracked twice, the pair of bullets punching through the thin wood. He grinned fiercely and headed for the back door as a muted thump was heard from behind the closed bedroom door. 

Phantasm sneered at the boy, the man's form shimmering as he drew nearer to Kai. "Time to die, little kitty." 

Aya remembered what Farfarello had shown him and slowed down time for Phantasm, keeping him away from Kai for valuable seconds. 

Kai gazed at the Terror operative knowing that his sai would have no effect. He thought quickly and then lashed out with his own power. Phantasm suddenly became completely corporeal and that was all that he needed. He jumped forward, sai spinning, and buried one in Phantasm’s neck. 

The Rosenkreuz psi-operative choked, hands reaching up for the hard steel sunk into his neck, shock in his dark eyes as his knees buckled beneath him. 

A roiling sheet of flame wrapped around one of the few remaining gunmen, the rest of them in full retreat, Farfarello hard on their heels. 

Brad paused, the back door flying open to reveal another of Rosenkruez's psychic agents. The man stared down the barrel of Oracle's gun, his mind reaching out to try and grab the Schwarz leader's ability to move. 

Pointless. Brad had already pulled the trigger. 

Behind him there was an enraged snarl. 

"They forgot about all the pretty kitties I have," Brad said to himself, the smirk breaking free as the last of the opposition died under the claws of Singapura. 

Aya straightened up, still shaken by just how terrified he’d been for Kai. It was like all those emotions so carefully buried for so many years had suddenly burst out in all directions. He shook his head to clear it and turned to make sure everyone was all right. 

Aya-chan finally crawled out from under the desk and immediately went to Zeshin’s side to check that he was still in one piece. 

Zeshin wouldn't even look at her, and when she tried to touch him he evaded her hand and moved away. 

Nagi poked his head through the back window, grinning all over his face. It had felt good to let his power go again and the Terror telekinetic had deserved all he’d got. 

Ken walked back into the house, his bugnucks stained crimson, Farfarello entering behind him, the Irishman's amber eye gleaming in bloodlust pleasure, both of them spattered with gore. 

"Two escaped," Ken reported. 

"They'll carry word of what we did back to Rosenkreuz," Yohji remarked. 

"It makes little difference. Either way Rosenkreuz will know we are now a greater force to be reckoned with than they have anticipated. They will make adjustments accordingly and our next encounter will not be so easily dealt with. But," he swept his team with his dark, unreadable eyes, "I believe we all realize that was bound to happen." 

“They’ll have to put a new team together to deal with us,” Schuldig said. “Until today Terror was the best they had.” 

“Apart from us,” Nagi said, “and as we’re now stronger they’ll have to send their very best.” 

“That’s without the Kritiker agents that are likely to be sent after us,” Aya added. “So we’d better not get careless.” 

Yohji sat down on the edge of Brad's desk, fumbling for a cigarette in his pocket. He had very few left, but he held the pack out for Schuldig, offering the telepath one as he said, "If they don't get the drop on us, Kritiker won't be much of a threat." 

Ken was looking for something to wipe off his bugnucks with, but there was nothing immediately in evidence. "That's probably why the Takatori bastard wanted you two dead so badly. Fear." He stared at the blood on his gloved hands, "He should have realized it was better to have you alive and in the palm of his hand rather than opposing him." 

“Yes, he should have,” Aya said coldly. He hadn’t told Ken that he’d left Takatori alive as yet. And next time they met he fully intended to do the job himself. He threw the last of his tissues to the pyrokinetic. 

Schuldig, having helped himself to one of Yohji’s cigarettes and lit it, took a deep lungful of nicotine. “So now what, Vater?” he asked. 

"We rest, get supplies and consolidate our position. Rosenkruez will take some time to gather up another team to come after us and Kritiker's arm isn't quite long enough to reach here." He watched the pair of men smoking, frowned but refrained from comment. 

"We have a week to get things we need and turn this house into our base of operations with everything that entails from a militaristic point of view." 

He plucked the cigarette from Schuldig's hand, took a brief puff and handed it to Aya. "In other words, we're going to turn the place into our own little fortress, complete with booby traps." 

He regarded his team, a slight smile curling his lips, "And while I'm thinking about it, good job team. Now, let's all get cleaned up and go out for dinner. I feel like celebrating, not only our victory, but our return to our own place in time." 

Aya took a drag on Schuldig’s cigarette before relenting and handing it back to the telepath with a grin. 

Kai came back into the house, having retrieved his sai from Phantasm’s throat and wiped it clean on the dead agent’s clothes. He was taken aback when Aya crossed the room in a couple of quick strides and hugged him. “You had me worried,” the normally cold redhead murmured against his ear. 

“I had myself worried until I realised what I had to do.” 

Brad nodded, "Rosenkruez has few healers of any consequence. Their short-sighted goals lead them to turn them into nothing but killers." He stepped closer to the slight teen and caressed his cheek. "I, on the other hand, understand that a coin has two sides, and both are part of a greater whole." 

He leaned closer and kissed Aya. "Now let's go get hot showers and go get some decent food. I'm starving." 

"Me too," Yohji said as he surveyed his nearly empty pack of smokes. "And we need more cigarettes." 

Farfarello sighed, "And Cloudy?" 

"He will always be exactly where you left him, Farfarello. But until we've made an end to this situation and no longer need concern ourselves with imminent battle with Rosen or Kritiker, then he has to stay where he is." 

“When I go back for him I’ll take you with me if you want,” Aya said. He frowned slightly, obviously thinking about something. 

“A shower sounds good to me,” Nagi said and climbed in through the window. 

Aya-chan wasn’t really listening to the men. Instead she was coming to realise just what she’d ignored, even when it had been under her very nose. Now Zeshin wanted nothing to do with her and she could hardly blame him. Sadly she moved away from him. 

“I’ll be in my room if anyone wants me,” she said and almost ran from the room. 

Zeshin watched Aya-chan leave the room. He glanced at Abyssinian then walked toward the living room. 

"Young love," Brad commented dryly. 

"I'll be taking a shower then too." He glanced at Aya, Yohji and Kai in turn, "It's a very big shower. Lots of room," he said archly then, laughing, walked toward his bedroom door, which just happened to be the one with a very notable bullet hole in it. 

Yohji raised one golden eyebrow at Aya, then shrugged and said, "Why not?" 

“Can you manage without a cigarette for that long?” Aya asked dryly. Then he headed after Brad drawing Kai along with him. Bengal wasn’t complaining. 

"Distract me enough and you'll be amazed at how long I can go without a cigarette," Yohji replied, patting Aya on the ass in case the younger man might not understand what he'd consider to be an appropriate distraction. 

Schuldig sighed as they disappeared into Brad’s room and Ken and Nagi went upstairs to take a shower leaving him with the still disgruntled Farfarello. 

*You wanting a shower, Farf, or do you want to go to dinner covered in blood?* 

Farfarello eyed Schuldig, "I think I want to take a shower if it means being naked in there with you. If not," he shrugged, "I'll go as I am." 

Schuldig grinned at his lover. “I’ll happily share the shower with you, babe.” 

* * * * * * * 

They'd all piled into the two cars that Brad had rented for them, Brad in a clean and neatly pressed Versace suit was driving one car with Aya riding shotgun and Yohji driving the second car with Ken seated beside him up front. 

Brad saw no difficulties ahead of them, so he'd told the team-- his team-- to relax and enjoy themselves and that was what he planned for them to do. Have a nice relaxed time in Bangkok, play businessmen tourists and forget their problems for a night. 

While there were certain aspects of the evening he had planned that he himself would not really enjoy, he felt that a few hours of suffering on his part would do the rest of his team-- with the possible exception of Aya-- a great deal of good. 

Beside him Aya was silent and watchful. He was never fully relaxed when out of doors and tonight was no exception. He stared out onto the crowded streets of Bangkok with little enthusiasm and a whole load of things on his mind. The whole Zeshin and Aya-chan business had him worried and even the intense and highly pleasurable session in the shower earlier had not wiped that worry from his mind. 

*Don't worry about them, Aya,* Yohji thought to the brooding redhead in the car with Brad. *They'll work it out, or get over it.* 

Brad understood what was wrong with his lover and decided a bit of a mood breaker was in order. At the first traffic light where he had to stop he leaned over and pressed his lips to Aya's. 

Aya returned the kiss until the lights changed and they had to drive on. It had the desired effect however and he was now smiling slightly. *You’re probably right,* he sent back to Yohji before turning to Brad. “So, where are we going to eat?” 

"In deference to the Japanese section of my team, we're going to the first place I find that looks like it caters to Japanese businessmen. Personally I'm sick of anything that comes fried or coated in grease." 

Aya’s smile grew. “Yeah the food wasn’t that hot,” he agreed, “and real plumbing was a joy to return to. Get Yohji his damned cigarettes and we’ll all be happy. Well perhaps not Farfarello just yet.” 

"He'll forget about the horse in a week or two," Brad told Aya. "Not great is not a description I would have used for the food. Not when totally awful is closer to the truth." 

Brad actually managed a soft chuckle, "I suppose I can't fault Yohji for his addiction to cigarettes. Not when I am looking forward to gourmet coffee freshly ground and perked." 

“I made Farfarello a promise, though, and if we get through all this alive, I intend to keep it,” Aya said. He chuckled. “And you’re right about the food, though the pie was good.” 

"Yes, yes the pies we got were good, I have to admit that. But we couldn't live on them." He smiled thinking back on some of the dubious meals they'd had, "I think Kudoh was trying though, now that I think of it, he was perfectly content to eat nothing but apple pie most of the time." 

There was another soft chuckle. “He’s always had weird and wonderful eating habits. He once went for nearly a month on nothing but ice cream!” 

"Wonderful?" Brad questioned. "If you mean his appetite for cock, I'll agree," the American laughed remembering the blonde's mouth wrapped around his dick. It had been quite an eye opening experience to be sucked off by Yohji. 

Aya stopped chuckling and frowned instead as he indicated his sister. For her part, Aya-chan was blushing furiously her gaze riveted on the window. 

Brad glanced in the rear view mirror, seeing the brilliant glow of the girl's cheeks. "Yes, well she needs to accept our lives, Aya. No sense pretending we weren't in the shower together." 

“I have accepted his life,” Aya-chan said. “I’ve even seen it once.” She glanced at her brother who was glaring at her. “Don’t look at me like that, Ran.” She turned her attention back to Brad. 

“I’m sorry I blushed. I’m just not used to hearing _you_ talk like that, that’s all.” 

Brad considered the girl's words, "No, I suppose you aren't." He smiled at her in the mirror, "So, you've seen-- what exactly?" 

This time it was Aya who blushed as his sister described, in lurid and very graphic detail, his session with Yohji in the alleyway in Sacramento. 

“Aya!” 

“What?” 

“I didn’t know you knew words like that.” 

She giggled softly. “There’s quite a lot about me that you don’t know, brother.” 

Brad couldn't help but smirk as the girl told the story of exactly what she'd seen Aya doing to Yohji. What actually got the most attention from him was the fact she'd watched her own brother fucking another man. 

*Schuldig, does she have an attraction to her brother that's more than sisterly? She watched Aya fucking Yohji and... well that could explain a few things.* 

*No, she watched because she had a crush on Yohji at the time. I even suggested to him that he take her on but he was a bit put off by the idea of fucking both brother and sister.* 

Schuldig’s mental voice went quiet for a moment then it was tentative. *To be honest, Vater, I don’t think we did Zeshin any favours. He’s now convinced that he’s a worthless animal and even his master doesn’t want him.* 

*It makes perfect sense that fucking them both would not be something Yohji would be capable of managing.* He considered what Schuldig had said about Zeshin. For once he had no ready answer about what should be done to handle a crisis that could very well damage the fledgling stability of his team. 

*Any suggestions on what can be done to make him see himself as a human being again? Sadly, I'm at a loss for once.* 

*What with the fucking mind job Takatori did on him and then our tampering with his brainwashing I daren’t attempt anymore. The only thing I can suggest is that it’s stressed to everyone that he’s treated as an equal. Whether he’ll ever see Aya as anything but his master I doubt, but if he feels like he’s valued… who knows?* 

*Pass the word then. While he's not totally vital to our success, having him is better than not having him considering he'd walk in front of bullets for any of the Weiss and not even hesitate or think about his own mortality. 

*Loyalty like that isn't something you throw away.* 

Crawford considered something, then decided to broach the subject with Schuldig, *He's technically Farfarello's son, in a manner of speaking. Do you think you can get Berserker to focus on that fact? That might pull Farfarello out of his obsession with that damned horse and give the boy someone who won't treat him like an animal. We all had enough of that sort of treatment ourselves with Esset, so we understand it better than any of our dear former Weiss can.* 

*I’ll pass the word and talk to Farf about it. He’s quite taken with the fact that the boy is partly him so he should take an interest. As to the horse, he’s not going to forget it till the stupid animal’s here!* 

*He's got Farfarello's colouring, that’s rather obvious, wouldn't you say? He also has that same manner of sitting quietly in a corner and staring at people like Farfarello does, have you noticed him doing it?* 

Brad saw a brightly lit tourist area and slowed, "Watch for somewhere you think would be good to eat, Aya. I have to keep my mind on my driving." Not entirely true, really, he could look slightly ahead and make sure they didn't have a collision, but he wanted to continue his discussion with Schuldig. 

*Yes, he’s a watcher rather than a talker,* Schuldig agreed, *and just as lethal as Farf when riled. Not a psychopath as such but… Let’s just say I wouldn’t want to cross him.* 

*Really?* Crawford questioned, genuinely amazed that Schuldig had studied the boy enough to make such observations. *You surprise me, Schuldig. I hadn't realized you'd been paying that much attention to him. And yes, you are correct, he has the potential to be even more dangerous than your beloved Berserker.* 

He found a pair of parking spaces and pulled into the first of them. "I think we should just walk and have a look around. There has to be somewhere to eat in all this wash of neon light." 

“I’ll quite happily eat Thai,” Aya said as he undid his seatbelt and climbed out. “Might be easier than finding Japanese in this mess.” 

Brad got out of the car, gaze on the riot of neon signs along the street. He smiled, glad to be back in their own time. 

“So long as no one else objects to Thai food then I’m in agreement.” He glanced at Aya-chan as the girl got out of the car to join them on the side walk. “Do you want Japanese or Thai?” 

She shrugged. “I’m easy, whatever everyone else wants to eat.” Yohji had pulled in with the other car and she turned away, not able to meet Zeshin’s eyes. 

For his part it was as if Aya-chan was transparent, the boy just standing there, head down as the rest of the team piled out of the cars. 

Yohji gave a gleeful cry of joy and headed directly for a tobacconist’s shop a few doors down from where they’d parked. “Be right back,” he said as he strode off. 

Ken just shook his head and muttered, “Typical.” 

Farfarello was looking around, one eye squinting to try and puzzle out some of the glowing signs, his lack of depth perception playing havoc with his ability to read the brightly lit marquees. 

“We thought it might be easier to settle for Thai food,” Aya said. “Anyone got any problems with that?” 

“I haven’t,” Nagi said as he slipped a hand into Ken’s. At least here, in his own time, he could be himself and show his relationship openly. 

Schuldig slipped away from the rest of them and followed Yohji. 

Farfarello shook his head, gave up trying to read any of the signs and followed Schuldig. He didn’t really care where they ate, so long as he never had to stare at golden eye looking back at him from a plate of grease. 

Ken gave Nagi a quick kiss and headed for the sidewalk where Brad, Aya, Kai and Aya-chan were already waiting. 

Schuldig strolled into the tobacconist’s and smirked at Yohji. “Have they got anything worth smoking?” he asked. 

Yohji grinned, “They’ve got cigarettes from everywhere,” he said motioning to the displays enthusiastically. 

Schuldig grinned back. “Yeah. Now that’s what I’m talking about! Uh oh! Hi Farf. Just getting some smokes.” 

Farfarello nodded, “I suspected that since this is a tobacco shop and both you and Yohji came in here.” He glanced around and sighed before making his way toward a display of candy that stood off in one corner. 

Schuldig appeared to relax and turned his attention back to the purchase of several cartons of decent smokes. The shop was like paradise for smokers after the cigarillos he’d put up with for so long. 

Yohji had picked out two cartons and an assortment of packs for himself. He saw the rest of Schwarz waiting outside and headed for the counter. “I think they’re trying to decide where to eat,” he remarked. 

“When I left they’d pretty much decided that Thai would be easier to find,” Schuldig said, taking his own selection across to be totalled. Then he remembered that Brad had all the money. *Not a word, Yohji. Farf, get your candy over here.* Waiting for the other two to join him with their respective purchases, he slid into the shopkeeper’s mind and convinced him he’d received payment for everything. 

Yohji frowned. *Schuldig, I have money.* 

*Then pay the man if it makes you feel better.* Schuldig’s mental voice was sulky. *You kitties are far too moral!* 

*I could say something about you being far too immoral, Schuldig. This guy has family and needs his job. If he comes up short on his drawer he’ll probably lose the job. While that probably isn’t of any concern to you, I’d personally hate to think I’ve put a family out on the street over some cigarettes.* 

*Then pay for the damned things and let’s get out of here! I’ll get Brad to give you the money for mine later.* 

Yohji handed the money over to the clerk and scooped up their purchase, “Grab a pack for tonight, I’m going to take the rest to the car.” 

Schuldig grabbed a pack of Marlboro lights and followed Yohji and Farfarello out of the shop. “I owe Yohji thirty bucks,” he told Brad. “He wanted me to be good.” 

Crawford frowned, “Tell me you weren’t planning on not paying the store clerk.” 

Schuldig shrugged, smiled guiltily, shuffled his feet and changed the subject. “So where are we eating?” 

Brad reached out and took a gentle grip on Schuldig’s chin, “I don’t need an answer, I already know it,” he told the German, his gaze hard. “I’m going to go over this one time and I want everyone to listen carefully.” 

He swept his gaze over the others then returned his uncompromising stare on Schuldig, “We do not use our powers for fun and games anymore. We are back in the realm of Rosenkreuz, our dangerous and deadly serious enemies. And they have ways of tracking the use of talents.” His fingers dug into Schuldig’s chin, “Understood?” 

“Yes, Vater,” Schuldig said on a sigh. “It won’t happen again.” 

Brad let Schuldig go, “Does everyone understand this isn’t a fucking game we’re playing?” 

Yohji was looking at Schuldig and nodding agreement. 

“Wasn’t that the rule before we left last time?” Ken asked. 

Strangely enough it was Aya that took pity on his team mate. “I think Schuldig’s remembered,” he said mildly. 

Schuldig hung his head then, the long hair covering his face from view. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. 

“Don’t do it again, Schu,” Brad said, his tone softer, using the pet name for the telepath which he very rarely did. 

“I’m going to put this stuff in the car,” Yohji stated as he headed off. He paused, “Umm.. anyone know where Zeshin is?” 

“He’s waiting outside the restaurant for us,” Brad replied. “Hurry and put that stuff away. I think our kitten is hungry.” 

They waited while Yohji locked the tobacco in the car and then walked up the street to where Zeshin was waiting. The restaurant was Thai but looked both comfortable and clean so they all trooped in. 

The hostess greeted the group of men, and one lady with a broad smile. She looked them over and chose to address them in English, not sure what language they might speak of the half dozen she was able to converse in, but from experience most people spoke a little English even if they weren’t native speakers. 

“Welcome. Do you have reservations?” 

“No, I’m afraid we don’t. We just arrived this evening,” Crawford replied. 

“That’s not a problem, sir. Would you like a table together or do you prefer other seating arrangements?” 

“Together, if you please. As private as you can manage,” Brad replied. The place was busy, but he could see a room toward the back that was empty. 

“We have a private room available, sir, if you would prefer that. Please follow me.” She picked up menus and led the way to the empty room that Brad had noticed. 

There was a large, circular table, big enough to take all of them and still leave space for the waiting staff to get round. The hostess smiled. “Can I get you any drinks?” she asked. 

“I’ll take a beer,” Yohji told her as he dropped into a seat. 

Ken pulled a chair out for Nagi, “Ice tea.” 

Zeshin found a chair well away from Aya-chan and sat down. “Milk please,” he said, his expression sullen. 

Farfarello sat down beside the leopard boy, “Sounds good to me too,” he told the hostess as he picked up a menu. 

“Ice tea for me right now, but I’d like coffee after my meal,” Brad told the woman. 

“What’s your house wine?” Aya asked. 

“A shiraz or chardonnay, sir, both Australian.” 

“I’ll have a glass of the shiraz, please. Aya?” 

Aya-chan looked up from her seat between Kai and Nagi. “Green tea, please, jasmine.” 

Kai opted for a beer, Schuldig a vanilla coke and Nagi green tea. 

“Someone will be here with your drinks in just a few moments,” the hostess said with a smile and left them to it, happy to know that ten people would mean a large order. 

Brad glanced around the table and sat back in his seat, prepared to relax and enjoy one evening of pretending to be what they weren’t: normal people. 

But the quiet illusion, however brief it might be, pleased him and he felt a warm flush of pride in his ‘family’ as they settled down to the serious business of selecting a meal that would be prepared on modern appliances with more savoury ingredients than they’d tasted in weeks. 

Kai glanced up from his perusal of the menu. “Which one’s the hot one again?” he asked. “Red or green?” 

“Green curry is the hot one, red the mild,” Aya told him without looking up from his own menu. 

Farfarello grinned, “I like the green curry best.” 

Yohji smiled, “Salad with that peanut dressing. I haven’t had that in... well over a hundred years.” 

Brad chuckled, “Yes, it has been a while hasn’t it?” 

“Satay,” Nagi groaned in anticipation, “I love satay.” 

A young waiter came in at that moment with their drinks and took their respective orders. When he left he was smiling. He was going to need help. 

Brad picked up his tea and took a sip, nodded and placed it back on the table. “Let’s have a discussion while we’re waiting for our meal to arrive.” 

Aya helped himself to one of Yohji’s cigarettes and sat back in his seat, sipping his wine. There was a slight smile on his face as he asked what Brad wanted to discuss. 

“What to do after dinner, of course,” Brad answered as he leaned over and kissed Aya tasting wine on his lover’s lips. 

“You were planning on making a night of it, Vater?” Schuldig asked in some surprise. 

“Why not?” Crawford replied. 

Yohji smiled, “I vote for a club. I haven’t gotten to dance in a long time.” 

“What he means,” Ken muttered, “is he hasn’t gotten to get drunk and deafen himself at the same time.” 

Aya frowned across at Ken before telling him, very sweetly, that they didn’t play soccer at midnight here or anywhere else. 

“I…I’d rather just go home to bed,” Aya-chan said in a very subdued tone as she pleated the edge of the tablecloth between nervous fingers. 

“Bed’s good too,” Brad agreed with a slight smile at the thought of doing nothing but fucking his lovers. “But wouldn’t you rather spend the night doing something other than crying?” 

Aya-chan raised haunted eyes to stare at him. “Why…why would I do that?” she asked. “I just thought Zeshin might feel more comfortable if I wasn’t here.” She glanced across the table at the boy before swallowing hard and looking away. 

Brad picked up his napkin and spread it neatly in his lap, “Perhaps because you’ve made such a habit of it, night after night.” He looked up to regard the girl, “You do have choices. You could ask your brother to loan you Kudoh once in a while, or you could take Zeshin off his hands and play with him.” 

There were gasps from several places round the table as well as her throat. “That’s a dreadful thing to say! They have choices too!” 

Aya meanwhile had stood up and quietly asked Yohji to change places with him so he no longer had to sit next to the pre-cog. *And no, I’m not lending you out, not even to Crawford until he apologises.* 

Yohji got up and switched places with Aya, but his jade eyes weren’t in the least bit friendly. “What, I’m a goddamned party favour now?’ he muttered in annoyance, glaring at Crawford. 

Ken sank into his seat with a whispered, “Oh fuck... oh fuck,” as he recognized the abruptness of Aya’s motions for what they were: pure rage. 

Across the table, unnoticed, Zeshin was sitting perfectly still, eyes gone to slits. Somewhere inside his head something broke, cracked. From motionless silence the boy burst upward out of his chair and came across the table, lips pulled back in a snarl of fury, fingers stiff, nails glittering under the dim restaurant lights. 

“You BASTARD!” the boy snarled. 

“Zeshin! NO!” Aya-chan screamed. “Please!” 

Nobody was convinced that she could control Singapura and the one person that could sat silent, watching. 

*Aya! Stop him for fuck’s sake!* Schuldig’s frantic mental voice didn’t move the redhead. 

Brad went over backward, the leopard boy snarling and struggling, Brad’s hands locked around Zeshin’s wrists in grips strong as steel vices. He barely managed to close his thighs in time to protect himself from a knee that probably would have shattered his pelvic bone. 

Yohji reached down to grab the boy, and got ferally sharp teeth sunk into his hand for the effort. 

“ZESHIN! STOP IT! RIGHT NOW!” The words had been yelled by Aya-chan, not her brother who was more concerned with using a napkin to bind Yohji’s hand. *Stay out of it, Kudoh.* 

“Little bitch,” Yohji snapped, almost kicking the boy, and then thinking better of it. It wasn’t the kid’s fault he’d reacted the way he had. Confronted with someone trying to pull him away from a target he might have wired them. He’d done it to Ken once on a mission, but had stopped himself when he’d realized it was a team mate and not another attacker. 

Zeshin subsided, his thrashing stopping at the tone of the girl’s voice. He was breathing hard, gaze still wild, but he was no longer trying to murder Crawford. 

Brad let the boy’s wrists go, “Get off of me,” he said, voice calm and totally unruffled. 

Farfarello looked at Schuldig, *Bastard Braddie did that on purpose.* 

*Then he can deal with the fallout!* Schuldig resumed drinking his beer. *Dumb! He got the boy mad, Aya mad and I’ve no idea what he hoped to achieve.* 

Zeshin got off of Brad. He was glaring at the man when he said, “You treat her with respect from now on or I’m going to gut you, and damn the consequences.” 

Aya-chan’s eyes widened before she flushed scarlet and stared down at the table. 

Her brother didn’t even look up, still seemingly engrossed in the binding of Yohji’s hand, as he said, “And if he doesn‘t I will.” 

Brad got off of the floor, “Drastic measures,” he said and did nothing further to explain himself, but he was smirking as he righted his chair, his glasses catching the light as he took a seat. 

*Tell me something, Schuldig. Has Brad been acting-- well he’s been odd since the Elders died-- but it seems even worse the last week or so doesn’t it?* Farfarello questioned. 

*Just a minute, Farf. I’m trying to prevent anyone from getting alarmed at our family squabbles. That’s got it. And yes, you’re right. I think it’s called hope.* 

Yohji watched Aya, realizing the red-head was so mad he needed to focus on something minor to keep from murdering something-- or someone-- and his hand was the current thing Aya had chosen to keep his mind on, so there would be no retrieving his appendage anytime soon. 

Zeshin walked back around the table, paused beside Aya-chan, “I’m sorry if I... I didn’t ever mean to hurt you, Aya. I just wanted you to know that I love you. That’s all.” 

Aya-chan looked up then and smiled mistily at him. “I… I thought you hated me because I was too stupid to see what was right under my nose. Please, come and sit next to me.” 

Brad smiled and picked up his tea. “United at last.” 

Aya finally looked up and stared coldly at Crawford. “If that’s your idea of united,” he said, “then you’ve got a screw loose. Whatever problems people have they should be allowed to work through them and not be manipulated like that.” 

Crawford looked at Aya for a moment, then he nodded, “Normally I would agree with you completely, however we don’t have the luxury of time for it. I saw your sister being killed, and Zeshin wrapped in grief so deep he committed suicide by Rosenkruez agent. That is no longer a potential future. 

“While that future was only a potential one, now it cannot happen at all. And I much prefer this to what could have been, don’t you?” 

Aya merely glared, let go of Yohji’s wounded hand and picked up his wine. His hand was shaking very slightly. 

Under the table Yohji pressed his thigh to Aya’s, offering silent comfort to his lover. He focused hard on their link, *He still owes you for being such an asshole. Aya-chan too. I don’t give a damn what his reason was, I’m sick of his heavy-handed shit.* 

*He knows that if it came to a choice between what just happened and what he says he saw that I’ll go with what happened. But I have no way of knowing if he’s lying.* 

*I do, actually.* Yohji replied silently, *At least I think I do. Maybe not. Hell I don’t know.* 

Aya frowned slightly but covered it by taking a sip of his wine. *You mean you can tell with your empathy?* 

*Maybe.* 

Nagi sighed and rearranged the table so it appeared that nothing untoward had happened. He had just finished straightening things out when two waiters pushing two huge trolley loads of food appeared in the doorway. 

“Do you know of any good clubs in Bangkok, Yohji?” Kai asked, more to break the silence that had descended as they began eating than any real desire to know. 

“Can’t say that I do, kid,” Yohji replied as he picked up his beer and drained the glass. 

“Well, that effectively knocks that idea on the head,” Kai said with the ghost of a smile. 

Brad swallowed what was in his mouth and said, “There’s a good club on the corner one block down from here. I saw an advertisement for it while we were at the hotel.” 

Yohji caught the eye of a waiter that was standing near the door and waved his empty glass, “You want another one, Aya?’ 

“Please. That’s a nice shiraz.” He smiled suddenly. “What do you think, Yotan? Want to go clubbing?” 

“Does a fish swim in the ocean?” Yohji countered as the waiter arrived and Yohji instructed him to refill their glasses by showing them the empty ones. 

Ken held his glass out, “Get me a beer. If I have to go to a club I’ll need a drink now.” 

Nagi turned a huge, visible eye on his lover. “Don’t you like clubbing, Ken?” 

Ken shook his head, “No. Too many of our missions were in clubs. Too damned many...” he muttered. 

“Oh, I see…” The teen went quiet. He would love to go clubbing, to dance with Ken but if his lover didn’t like clubs… 

“Lighten up Ken, have fun with your boyfriend,” Yohji told the brunet. 

“Why do you think I asked for the beer?” Ken countered, and put his hand very high up on Nagi’s thigh, fingertips brushing across a very sensitive area. There was an innocent smile on his face as he picked up his fork with the other hand. 

Nagi squirmed in his seat and whapped Ken telekinetically. 

“What about you, Yotan?” Aya almost purred. “You up to some fun with your boyfriend in a club?” 

“Oh hell yeah, babe, ready and willing,” Yohji agreed readily as he leaned closer to Aya to capture the man’s mouth in a fast kiss. 

Brad eyed the pair of men, a faint frown pulling at his mouth. Abyssinian was up to something, but he wasn’t able to see a damned thing. 

“Good,” was all Aya said before he turned his attention back to his meal. 

Meanwhile his sister was happy to be sitting next to Zeshin but not entirely sure if he felt the same way. 

“Um… do you like clubbing?” she tried. 

“I’ve only been to a club once, with... someone else.” He didn’t think it would be a good idea to mention that he’d gone with Mamoru. 

Farfarello leaned closer to Schuldig, his head bumping the German’s, *I hope Brad has a shovel, because I think he’s going to be in deep shit before tonight is over.* 

Schuldig nodded his agreement, a slight smirk playing round his mouth. *I don’t know about you, but I’m just going to relax and watch the fireworks.* 

*Yep, I reckon that’s a mighty good idea, pardner,* Farf replied using the Old West lingo he’d picked up while they’d been in the past. 

“I’ve never been to a club at all,” Aya-chan was saying. “What’s it like?” 

“Loud,” Ken and Zeshin answered simultaneously. 

“Fun as hell,” Yohji said, “don’t let those two spoil your fun.” 

“Yeah,” Kai added. “If you like dance music you’ll love it.” 

Aya grimaced slightly as he remembered the collection of sing-song pop she’d been inclined to listen to before being hospitalised. “She’ll like it,” he said with a sigh. 

“Sure she will,” Yohji agreed. “She’s got a beautiful guy as her date...” 

Zeshin choked on the food he’d been eating as Yohji said that. 

“And she’s a beautiful girl. I’m sure Zeshin will have to fight to keep her to himself.” 

Aya-chan blushed and shook her head.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Co-written with zheyrrhyn

Brad adjusted his tie as stepped onto the sidewalk, the crowd of people heading into the club flowing past him. “No one goes anywhere alone in here. Stay in pairs. Is that understood?” 

“Yes daddy,” Yohji replied as he joined Brad on the sidewalk, hand in hand with Aya. 

“Sure, whatever,” Ken said as he watched a rather attractive woman walk past. 

Nagi dug his lover in the ribs with an elbow and scowled at him. “That means you’re with me, Ken,” he said. 

Schuldig swept Farfarello into the queue followed almost immediately by Aya and Yohji. Kai took a glance at Brad and resigned himself to watching the other dancers for the night. 

Brad patted the boy’s ass, “I hope you aren’t planning on sitting at a table all night,” he said, “because I’m not going to.” 

Kai glanced up at him in some surprise before smiling. “I didn’t think you’d want to dance,” he admitted, “but I’m glad you do.” 

Aya-chan took a deep breath and slipped a hand into Zeshin’s before joining the queue. 

Working up his nerve, Zeshin stepped in front of Aya-chan and kissed her lightly on the lips, his cheeks going red. 

Ken grinned, “Good idea,” he said as he pulled Nagi to him and kissed his lover. 

“You still need a map and compass, Hidaka?” Aya called. Then he was kissing Yohji, his hands roaming across the blond’s back and buttocks. 

His sister meanwhile was happily returning Zeshin’s kiss and the only noise to be heard from Nagi was a slight “mmmph.” 

Yohji raised an eyebrow, swung an arm around Aya, set his lips to his lover’s mouth and tipped the man backward to give him a scorching kiss. 

Aya returned the kiss with equal passion until they had to break apart due to the movement of the queue. 

From his place in front of them, Schuldig glanced back and smirked. *I think this is going to be one hell of a memorable evening.* 

The next thing Schuldig knew was he had been grabbed and was being kissed with as much fervour as Aya was getting from his own blond. 

Laughing Brad eyed Kai, “Feeling left out?” 

“Given another five minutes and I might be,” he said with a grin. The he lifted eager arms round Brad’s neck and kissed him. 

Brad’s hands gripped Kai’s behind and lifted the shorter man completely off his feet, easily holding him as they kissed. 

“Hey get a room you guys,” Ken quipped as he came up for air. 

“Oh, look who’s talking,” Yohji shot back. 

Nestled against him Aya chuckled softly, the first sign of real humour he’d shown since the fight in the restaurant. 

They moved forward steadily and finally entered the club. The music, although loud was still recognisable as music and not simply beat, and the club itself was air-conditioned and comfortable. 

Yohji leaned close to Aya, his hand sliding suggestively down Aya’s thigh. *I want to go into the bathroom and let you fuck my brains loose. Is that bad?* he asked silently. 

Aya grinned at him. *No. But what do you say to being double teamed?* 

*With whom else?* Yohji asked, his hand slipping between Aya’s thighs for a quick grope as they followed the rest of the team to a table. 

*Kai.* The mental voice darkened. *I won’t be having sex with Crawford for quite some time.* 

*I figured that. Planning to punish Vater for being a prick are you?* Yohji stopped and pulled Aya into his arms, his lips closing on Aya’s in another of his patented melt-chrome kisses. 

*Oh yes.* But whether it was yes to Yohji’s question or to the kiss was hard to divine. 

Brad sat down and pulled Kai into his lap. He put his lips near Kai’s ear and asked, “You’re not mad at me for the incident with Aya-chan?” 

“I thought you acted like a bit of a prick actually,” Kai said. “But then again it did stop all the fucking heart-searching.” 

Yohji let Aya go, stood there, jade eyes alight with lust, then he grabbed Aya’s hand and started for the men’s room. 

“Whoa! What about Kai?” 

“Forget him right now, unless you want to be the one to pry him out of Brad’s lap, and from the expression on his face I’m not sure he’s going to want to go with us.” 

Aya sighed as he glanced over to where the two were sitting. “You’re right. Ah well, you’ll just have to make do with me then, won’t you?” 

“Make do?” Yohji broke into a fit of joyful laughter, “Baby you’re a banquet to a starving man.” 

He shoved open the bathroom door and made a beeline toward a stall, “I hope you’re ready, because I sure as hell am.” 

Aya didn’t say anything, merely placing Yohji’s hand on his groin and the tight bulge there. He slammed the stall door shut behind them. 

Yohji had arrived prepared. He’d gotten the lubricant from his stuff back at the house, just on the off chance he’d get to fuck someone. Or be fucked for that matter. He pulled out the tiny travel bottle from his pocket and handed it to Aya 

“Hard and fast. Do what you want. I’m serious.” He was already unbuttoning his jeans. 

Aya grunted noncommittally. He was angry enough with Crawford to want to hurt someone but that someone wasn’t Yohji. But then again he was offering and Aya felt needy right now. No, not just needy, downright furious. 

Farfarello had watched Aya and Yohji vanish into the crowd headed for the men’s room, and while Kudoh’s motions were frantic, he didn’t think the man was in a hurry to take a piss. 

He grabbed Schuldig by the wrist and started for the restroom. *They’re going off to fuck and I want to play too,* he told his lover. 

Schuldig was willing but sceptical. *You really think they’ll want to play with us, Farf? I know Yohji fascinates you but I’m not so sure that I fascinate Aya.* 

*Yohji was kissing you, wasn’t he?* Farfarello shot back. *Without you in the mix, what chance do you think I’ll have with either of them?* 

He shoved open the bathroom door and instantly identified the boots Aya was wearing under the door of a stall. 

Aya, meanwhile had undone his flies and was slicking his cock prior to burying himself in his lover’s ass. The door opening and catching his back made him stop and turn, frowning, to see who had interrupted them. His brows rose at the sight of Schuldig and Farfarello. 

“Find you own fucking stall,” he growled. 

Yohji frowned, *What do you think you’re doing Schuldig?* 

Farfarello grinned. “But you two look so lonely in there.” 

*Blame Farf, Yohji. This wasn’t my idea.* 

*Yeah, he wants my ass still doesn’t he?* Yohji asked, not really needing a reply, he could see the answer in the way Farfarello’s golden eye was locked on his bare ass. 

Aya was staring at them both. *What do you think, Yotan?* 

*Going to be crowded,* Yohji answered Aya. 

*So… permission granted?* 

*Up to you, baby. I’m yours to do what you want with, you know that.* 

*That works both ways.* He smiled suddenly. *Okay. I will if you will.* 

*You sure? I know Farfarello has a thing for me, and I’m just hoping his intent isn’t to gut me like the catch of the day. And well Schuldig is... interesting. Great at kissing.* 

“I feel a draft,” the blond said out loud. 

“Yeah shut the fucking door,” Aya added. 

“Er… which side do you want us on?” Schuldig asked. 

“This side of course,” Aya said with a grin. “Wouldn’t want you guys to have a wasted journey now, would we?” 

Yohji eyed his lover, “Got plans for my ass, is that it?” He lowered his head, took a deep breath. He could do this. Aya was here. His lover wouldn’t let anything happen to him. 

Farfarello slipped a hand around Aya and trailed a finger along the man’s cock, “Very nice bit of steel you have, Abyssinian. If I’d known that, I’d have made an effort to arrange this little encounter a lot sooner.” 

“A lot sooner would have got you nowhere, Farfarello. We had to sort our own relationship out first. So, who wants what?” 

Farfarello put his hand on Yohji’s narrow ass, “I want this.” 

Yohji gripped the top of the stall and held on tightly, refusing to show any fear of the man touching him. “I don’t care, so long as I get some cock,” he said, keeping his voice steady. It was true, he did want cock up his ass, but he wasn’t so sure about it being Farfarello’s. 

“Ground rules,” Aya said. “No cutting or hurting, Farfarello. That’s my privilege and only mine.” 

He turned as best he could to gaze at Schuldig. “Come here,” he said softly. 

Farfarello nodded, "Understood. Ground rules for using my toy are the same," he smirked, "Not that I think you'd really damage anyone." 

He stroked down the curve of Yohji's ass, enjoying the feel, a hand sliding under to cup the blond's heavy balls. "I don't know Schuldig, I might have to trade you for Kudoh once in a while. The man is nicely hung." 

Yohji groaned as the strong hand closed around his scrotum and squeezed, rolling his balls with surprising gentleness. 

The Irishman held his hand out to Aya, "I hope there's more of that lube." 

Aya finished coating his own erection and handed the lube to Farfarello. Schuldig, meanwhile, had shucked his pants and underwear down to his knees. 

Aya tilted his head to one side as he took a long, appreciative look at the other redhead. “Nice,” he said. 

Farfarello didn't waste any time. He unzipped his pants and pulled out his erection, smearing the lube over it before dropping the closed bottle into a pocket. 

His hand moved from Yohji's balls to his erection, stroking slowly, making sure the blond was ready. The harsh moans were all the answer he needed. He let go of Yohji's cock and gripped one of the man's hips, his other hand closing on his cock to guide it for the waiting heat. 

Aya pressed Schuldig up against the door before kissing him. The German responded, whilst using the top of the door to hoist himself off the ground and wrap his long legs round Aya’s waist. 

Aya grinned and moved a hand to stroke the telepath’s erection before pressing himself against his anus. 

Yohji's groan was harsh as Farfarello thrust into him, the sound turning shocked as he realize that Farfarello was a little thicker around than Aya, but not quite as long. 

The Irishman didn't wait, he gripped the blond's hips and started moving hard and fast, tearing a grunt of pleasure out of Balinese. 

Aya pushed his way into the tight heat that was Schuldig and it was the German’s turn to gasp and angle his hips up even more. 

Aya drew out a little before pushing in again, seating himself even deeper, looking for that one spot that would have Schuldig seeing stars. 

Yohji held on to the walls of the stall, leaning forward over the toilet to give Farfarello an even better angle, Berserker's cock slamming into him even harder, turning his vision white. 

Schuldig gasped again as one leg was lifted even higher and Aya’s cock found his hot spot. He made a sound suspiciously like a whine of pure lust. 

Farfarello heard the sound his lover made and laughed softly, reaching around to grip the blond assassin's cock, stroking it with a firm grip. 

Yohji cried out, legs almost giving way under him as the cock inside him and the hand on his dick turned his brain to mush. 

Aya’s free hand resumed it’s pumping of Schuldig’s erection, exerting just the right amount of pressure. Schuldig screamed out his pleasure before collapsing against the smaller redhead. Aya thrust two or three more times before he came deep inside the German. 

Laughing, Farfarello came hard inside the blond as Yohji tensed and spattered the toilet with his semen. Only the arm that Berserker slipped quickly around him kept the former Weiss on his feet. 

"Shhh..." he murmured to Yohji as the blond began to shake. 

Aya let go of Schuldig’s leg and eased the man down from the door, hissing in loss as the movement slid him out of the German’s warm body. 

“Very nice,” he whispered in Schuldig’s ear. 

Farfarello guided the shaking blond to take a seat on the toilet, Yohji pale and sweating, shaking, eyes wide. 

"I didn't hurt him, I swear I didn't," he told Aya as he backed away from the trembling Yohji. 

“I know you didn’t,” Aya said as he turned away from Schuldig to crouch down and brush a hand through Yohji’s hair. Schuldig let go of the door and worked his hands, trying to get the ridges out of his palms and the feeling back in his fingers. 

*What’s wrong, Yotan,* Aya asked across their link. 

The blond didn't answer, he just draped his arms around Aya and lay his head on his lover's shoulder. 

Farfarello took Schuldig's hands in his and rubbed them gently, *Got any clue what's wrong with Yohji?* 

*No, Farf, but he looks like he needs a drink,* Schuldig sent his mental voice sad. He frowned. *Those bastards at Kritiker have a lot to answer for.* 

Aya fished in Yohji’s pockets and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and his lighter. He took one out of the pack, lit it and placed it between the blond’s lips. “I’m here, Yotan, it’s okay.” 

The blond nodded, took a long calming inhalation from the smoke and let it out slowly. "I'm... sorry," he murmured, his gaze flicking to Farfarello. "I'm okay, didn't mean to spoil this for anyone." 

Farfarello motioned to Schuldig, "We'd better go. You want a beer, Yohji?" 

The blond shook his head, "I'm okay. Thanks though." 

Aya glanced up and smiled at both his team mates. They hadn‘t pried and as far as he was aware Schuldig hadn‘t gone digging in Yohji‘s head. “Thanks,” was all he said. 

When they had gone he took Yohji in his arms once again. “Flashback?” 

"Yeah," was the shaky response. "I thought I could handle it. But... I don't know, maybe it was the music..." 

“There was music playing when they did that to you?” Aya asked, surprise evident in his tone. 

"We were in the back room at a club." Yohji took another drag off the cigarette and sighed the smoke out. "Guess I ruined our evening." 

“No, you didn’t ruin anything.” Aya leaned forward to kiss his lover. “Do you want to dance with me?” 

"I need to clean up a little, but yeah, I'd like to dance with you." 

Aya smiled and handed Yohji a wad of toilet tissue before cleaning himself off and fastening his pants. 

Yohji wiped himself clean and pulled up his pants, tossing the finished cigarette into the toilet with the paper he flushed it then leaned into Aya for a kiss. 

Aya’s arms went round him and pulled him closer, returning the kiss with a tenderness that he didn’t usually show and that was reserved only for Yohji. 

With their bodies pressed so tightly together, Aya could easily feel something hard against his belly as they kissed. 

“Did you want to dance or do something else?” he asked softly. 

"We could dance, or you could figure out what to do with this hard thing in my jeans." Yohji took hold of Aya's earlobe with his teeth and bit gently. 

“Oh I could think of lots of things to do with that,” Aya said with a smirk, “question is would you be up to them?” 

"Oh, I'm up all right." He took Aya's hand and guided it to his erection, "Now tell me what you want to do." 

“I want that…” He gave Yohji’s erection a squeeze, “…inside me. Now.” 

Yohji didn't need to hear the demand a second time. He grabbed Aya and spun him around, a hand pushing between his lover's shoulder blades. "Get your pants down, now!" he ordered. 

A surge of adrenaline ran through his bloodstream at the command and he was quick to obey. He got his pants and briefs round his knees in record time. 

A hand cracked on his ass, hard enough to leave a handprint. "Too slow. Where's the lube?" 

“In Farfarello’s pocket,” Aya gasped out. 

"What?" Yohji said, leaning in close to Aya, his voice a growl in the red haired man's ear. "Then you better get those pants up and run yourself out there to get it!" Yohji thought about it for a moment, then he added, "If you aren't back in a minute there will be more punishment." 

Aya sighed. “Forget the fucking lube!” 

Yohji's hand cracked down on Aya's ass hard. "What was that?" 

Aya pulled up his pants, glared at his lover and marched out of the men’s room to find Farfarello. It wasn’t difficult as the Irishman was propping up the bar. “Lube,” he said, “in your pocket.” 

Farfarello took a sip of the beer he was holding, "In a hurry?" he asked as he fished around in his pocket for the little bottle. 

“You could say that,” Aya said. He grabbed the bottle as soon as Farfarello held it out to him. “Thanks,” he called over his shoulder as he jogged back to the men’s room. 

He pressed the lube into Yohji’s hand, all but tore down his pants and bent over, bracing himself against the partition. 

"Too slow, babe. That took you almost two minutes," Yohji said as he smacked Aya's ass. 

“So stop wasting even more time talking and get on with it!” 

Yohji's eyes narrowed, "You sure you want to talk to me like that right now, Aya?" he asked quietly as he rested one hand on his lover's bare ass, fingers stroking across the heated flesh he'd just slapped. 

“Yeah, I’m sure. What’re you going to do about it, Yohji?” 

The blond frowned, slammed his lover into the door of the stall and pressed him to the cold metal with all his strength. "Punish you, that's what," Yohji growled as he grabbed one of Aya's wrists, and wrapped a length of fine silk cord around it. 

Aya struggled against him, knowing it would enflame his lover even more. 

"Don't," Yohji snarled, ramming Aya into the door, knowing that this was what Aya wanted, what they both wanted. 

Obediently Aya went still, letting Yohji do whatever he wanted. 

"You asked for this. I hope you're happy." Yohji bound Aya's wrists to the framework of the stall then he pulled off his belt and folded it in half before cracking it across Aya's already reddened butt. 

Aya gasped and squirmed helplessly as the belt came down. His head bent and all the fight went out of him, leaving his body relaxed. It was only then that he realised just how tense he’d really been since the incident in the restaurant. 

Yohji saw the change in his lover, but decided that Aya wasn't quite ready. He bent down and blew gently across the heated skin before setting his lips lightly on the welt he'd made with the belt. 

Aya groaned softly at the touch of Yohji’s lips but remained still and submissive. 

“Tell me what you want, Aya,” Yohji breathed the words across his lover’s ass, so close he could feel the heat of the man’s battered skin. 

“I want you, inside me, Yohji,” Aya replied so softly that the blond had to strain to hear. 

“I didn’t hear you, Aya,” Yohji said and flicked his tongue across the welt. He flipped his belt up over the wall of the stall, near enough for him to be able to grab it if the younger man decided to resist. 

Aya gasped again and this time said it louder. “I want you inside me. Please Yohji.” 

Yohji slicked his cock with a few drops of the lube and touched Aya’s tight entrance with a slick finger. “That what you want, baby?” 

Aya pressed back against Yohji’s finger trying desperately to impale himself on it. “Yohji, please,” he moaned. 

“Not what you want? Tell me, do you want this?” he asked as he slipped the finger in, but made sure he didn’t get the pleasure point that Aya wanted touched. 

“Your cock. I want your cock.” 

The sound of Aya’s voice drove a spike of lust into Yohji’s brain that went all the way to his cock. He pulled his finger free and guided his weeping cock into the tight heat of Aya’s body in one slow thrust. 

Aya exhaled one long, relieved sigh as he was filled with satin encased steel. “Yes,” he whispered, “yes, Yohji.” 

Yohji held back, not moving, slipping his hands under Aya’s shirt and running them over his lover’s chest, pinching a nipple. 

“Talk to me, Aya. Tell me what you want me to do.” 

Aya scowled at the door, his temper rising again. “You really want to know, Yohji? Okay, I’ll tell you. I want you to stop pussy-footing about and fuck my brains out… If you think you can.” 

Yohji just sighed. “You never learn do you?” He pulled out of the red-head, groaning at the loss, but making sure Aya understood that he was going to be punished. 

He pulled the belt down, folded it in half and said, “Sorry babe, but you just earned this instead.” 

The belt came down hard, the crack sharply audible over the bass beat from the music. 

It hurt but Aya didn’t even wince although his eyes did narrow slightly. “Which part of the word fuck don’t you understand, Kudoh?” 

Yohji just smiled sweetly in return. “No katana here, Aya. Unless you’re interested in this one,” he said as he rubbed his cock along the apex of Aya’s thighs, the head bumping gently into the red-head’s scrotum. 

Aya sighed like an adult dealing with a recalcitrant child. “You’re getting slightly warmer but that’s still not fucking.” 

Yohji’s eyes narrowed this time. He tossed the belt over the wall where it would be ready if he needed it then thrust his cock deep into Aya. “You want to be fucked, fucked you get.” 

He started to move, the pace hard and fast.` 

Aya groaned out his appreciation. Finally Yohji was giving him exactly what he needed. He pushed his pelvis back, trying to take his lover even deeper. 

Yohji bent his knees slightly, braced one hand on the wall, the other hand gripping Aya’s hip as he thrust, harder, managing to get a little deeper, hitting the right spot with unerring skill. 

“Happy now?” he growled. 

The only answer Yohji received was Aya’s hitched breaths and the occasional gasp as he worked against him, trying to impale himself even harder and faster. 

Yohji decided the only way to deal with Aya was to give him what he wanted. He let go of the wall and gripped Aya’s erection, stroking in time to his thrusts, driving himself into Aya so hard that the red-head’s shoulder hit the door of the stall on every inward thrust. 

Finally Aya groaned out Yohji’s name and spurted over the blond’s hand, his belly and the floor. 

Yohji wrapped his other arm around Aya, pretty sure what condition his lover would be in after an orgasm like that. He thrust twice more, and came, groaning out Aya’s name softly. 

Aya hung his head, still panting quite hard, all the fight gone. His bound wrists hung over Yohji’s supporting arm and he vaguely hoped the blond remembered that he had no real way to hold himself up. 

Yohji kissed the side of Aya’s neck and held him close, waiting until the red-head had full possession of his motor skills. 

“Was it good or should I give up trying to please you?” 

“It… was…more than… good, Yohji, thank… you,” Aya said quietly. “I… I’m sorry I was so… vicious.” His words were still punctuated by his hitching breath. 

Yohji smiled, “I know what the problem is, Aya. You aren’t pissed at me, it’s Brad you’re ready to strangle.” He started to pull at the cord around Aya’s wrists, trying to untie his lover with only one hand. A hand liberally coated with semen. He smiled and licked his fingers then tried again. 

Aya leaned against him, too drained to do much more right now. “He had no right to speak to her that…” He stopped, an uncertain smile forming. “It did have the desired effect though, damn the man!” 

“Yeah that it did,” Yohji agreed as he got the cord off of Aya and shoved it into his pocket. “His methods seem to suit the situation. He had to get Zeshin pissed off and it worked.” 

Yohji looked ruefully at his bitten hand. It wasn’t deep, but it was sore. 

“You should get Kai to deal with that,” Aya said as he struggled to pull up his pants. The task defeated him and he leaned back against the partition, eyes closed as he attempted to get his body back under control. 

“Lean against me, Aya, I’ll get you back in your clothes.” He pulled Aya’s pants up, managing to cup Aya’s balls and run his fingers along the man’s cock, as he did it. 

Aya shook his head in mock despair at these antics although there was a fond smile on his face. “Well, I think us dancing together is going to be out of the question now. I’ll be lucky if I’m able to walk straight let alone dance.” 

“Poor baby, and you a tough assassin and all,” Yohji teased. “Maybe I’ll dance with Schu for a bit. Would you mind?” 

“No, as long as I’m not expected to sit down and watch you. Just get me a drink and find a wall to prop me against and I’ll be fine.” Body now under better control he straightened up, wincing a little as he did so. 

Yohji stroked his hand over Aya’s sore ass, “You’re going to need a long hot bath when we get home.” He nibbled Aya’s earlobe and whispered, “Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Home. But that’s anywhere you are for me anyway.” 

Aya nodded. “Yeah, it does sound good, Yohji. The nearest I’ve ever come to a home since mine was blown up is the Koneko and that’s pretty damned pathetic when you stop to think about it.” He smiled at his lover. “But that hot bath sounds wonderful.” 

“Well truthfully, I’d rather go home with you than hang out here. I’ve decided that I don’t really need any of this now. I’m not trying to drown my past in booze, or forget that I love someone that has no clue I exist. 

“Maybe Aya-chan and Zeshin will want to go home or Ken and Nagi. We can leave the others here if they want to stay.” 

“Now your speaking my language, Yotan,” Aya said with a smile. He wrapped his arms round Yohji’s neck and kissed him. 

Yohji zipped himself up as he returned the kiss, their mouths and tongues engaged in a languid dance, speaking silently of devotion and love. 

Aya gazed up into green eyes. “Let’s get out of here,” he said. 

“That an order?” Yohji asked as he unlatched the stall door, ignoring the stares from a couple of the men who were in the washroom. 

“No more orders, Yohji, not tonight,” Aya said softly, totally ignoring the men as if they weren’t even there until one of them called out the word ‘fags.’ Then he turned, pinned the offender with an icy stare and said, “So what? Neither of us is going to bother _you_.” 

Yohji turned his jade eyes on the men, “I’ve fucked more women than you’ve probably spoken to,” he snapped. “And none of them came close what I’ve got right here in my arms, so fuck off.” 

He kicked open the door that led into the club, his arm around Aya. 

Aya leaned against him, totally sated and almost totally exhausted. Only his renowned focus was keeping him upright and moving forward at all. 

Yohji managed to get Aya back to the table where they’d left everyone, but there was no one at the table. He scanned the dance floor and wound up staring. Crawford? Dancing? With Kai. It was too much. Who would have believed the uptight bastard could dance, much less do it well? 

Aya looked around and spotted Zeshin and Aya-chan at the bar. He beckoned them over and asked if they wanted to stay or go home. He was quite amused when his sister looked to Zeshin to make the decision. 

The boy looked at Aya-chan, “What do you want to do?” The truth was, he’d be perfectly happy to leave, the decibel level of the music was making his head ache. 

Yohji slipped his arm around Aya, and gave him the support he knew the slender man needed. 

“I think I’d like to go home,” Aya-chan said. The truth was that the club was boring her and she wanted to talk to Zeshin somewhere where she could hear herself think. She turned to Yohji. “Can they squeeze six people into one car?” she asked. 

“If they’re friendly,” Yohji replied with a grin. “Let me go ask Ken and Nagi what they want...” Yohji shook his head, “Blond moment, I can ask without going over there can’t I?” 

He focused on trying to reach Ken, gave up and tried for Nagi instead. *Hey, you two want to go back to the house?* 

*Yohji? Are you leaving? If so you’re a life-saver!* Nagi’s mental voice was relieved. Seemingly the youngest Schwarz didn’t like nightclubs. 

*Yes. Aya’s tired and Zeshin is getting a headache.* 

Zeshin put his hands over his ears, his eyes half closed against the growing pain in his skull. 

*Okay, we’ll meet you at the door.* 

Aya-chan put a comforting arm round Zeshin. “Let’s get out of this noise, please,” she called. 

Yohji led them to the door, keeping an arm around Aya as he got them through the crowd and out the door. 

Nagi and Ken appeared just a few moments later, both of them looking relieved. Nagi raised his eyebrows at Yohji. “I thought you’d want to stay for hours yet,” he said. 

They were just heading for the car when Ken suddenly started howling with laughter, the soccer player bent double with mirth, eyes on the swordsman. 

Dangling from the back of Aya’s trousers was Yohji’s belt, but it looked for all the world like a cat’s tail in the neon glare of the street signs. 

Aya glanced back over his shoulder, wondering what on earth was wrong with his team mate. “What the hell’s so funny, Hidaka?” 

Ken pointed at Aya’s ass and said, “T.. tail! You’ve got a cat tail!” 

Aya glanced down and blushed furiously. He reached back and yanked the belt but the buckle was caught on his waistband. “Shit!” 

Yohji couldn’t help himself. He started to chuckle, “Good thing that never happened at the Koneko. The fangirls would have been squeeing like dolphins for weeks.” 

“Shi-ne, Kudoh,” Aya muttered. Ken still hadn’t shut up so he said it again, louder and with Hidaka on the end. 

Ken knew he could only die once. “Aww... the kitty’s going to scratch me wif his widdle biddy claws.” 

Yohji tried to stop himself, but he couldn’t help it and broke out laughing. He grabbed Aya’s ‘tail’ and tugged gently. 

“You better be careful Hidaka. Abyssinian’s got one big mean claw,” Zeshin warned. “And a long memory for being insulted. Ask Takatori Reiji.” Aya had twitched his ‘tail’ out of Yohji’s grasp and thwacked him with it by now but Zeshin’s words made him smirk at the younger man. 

Nagi, meanwhile, had given his idiot boyfriend a telekinetic slap upside the head. “Grow up, Ken!” 

Ken rubbed the side of his head and grinned. “What and turn out like any of these guys? No thanks!” 

Nagi chuckled softly and grabbed his arm. “I like you just the way you are, Ken. Cute, dumb and cuddly.” 

“Wow, thanks!” Ken said, playing dumb jock, scratching his head and looking as stupid as he could manage-- which was pretty damned stupid at that. 

Aya turned round to smile at Nagi before getting into the car with a slight hiss of pain. 

The others climbed into the car and closed the door. Yohji looked at Aya, “You going to be okay until we get home?” 

“I’ll be fine, Yohji. Just drive. I want that bath.” He rested his weight on his feet, lifted his ass off the seat and undid his pants. Pulling the belt free he handed it to Yohji without a word, fastened his pants and sat back down, slowly and carefully. 

“What in hell did you do to him Kudoh?’ Ken asked as he noticed that Aya was trying to keep his ass off the seat. 

“Ken, it’s none of your business in the first place, and in the second place, Aya-chan is in the car, and I’m sure she doesn’t need or even want to know,” Zeshin stated softly. 

Aya-chan simply blushed and buried her face in Zeshin’s shoulder. Nagi, however, dug his boyfriend in the ribs. “You just don’t know when to shut up, do you?” he asked with a grin. 

“He never did,” Aya snarled from the front seat. 

Now it was Ken’s turn to blush. “Gomen,” he muttered and fell silent, gaze going to the window. 

The rest of the drive was silent and, when they finally reached the house, Aya lost no time in getting out of the car. He didn’t go very far though, simply leaning against the roof and taking deep breaths. 

Yohji got out of the car and motioned Ken to go get the door open. He walked around to where Aya was standing and picked up his lover in his arms, “I’ve got you, baby.” 

Aya made no protest at all, simply twining his arms round Yohji’s neck and nestling his face against blond hair. He breathed in the scent of the vanilla scented shampoo Yohji had used earlier and sighed contentedly. He might be aching and sore but he was perfectly happy, Ken aside. 

Yohji hit the porch at about the same time Ken got the door open, the brunet standing aside to let his team mates pass. Despite being reprimanded for asking a too personal question he was really starting to worry about Aya. The man had changed so much in the last couple of months and he wasn’t used to such passive acceptance from the red-haired man. 

The old Aya would have snarled at Yohji, pushed him away, insisted he could walk. But this new Aya... he was becoming a stranger to the ex-goalie. 

Yohji carried Aya into their room and gently put him down on the bed, turning him as he did to that Aya was face down, his tender ass in contact with nothing. “I’m sorry Aya, I guess I hit you too hard.” 

“The belt wasn’t the problem, Yohji,” Aya said with a small smile. “It was the pounding you gave me afterwards. Don’t worry, I’ll get my own back sooner or later.” 

He tipped his head to one side, a sure sign that he was thinking. “I need to go back to…what was it you used to call me? Oh, yes, the Ice Prince. I need to go back to being him in public I think. Poor Ken seemed really shocked tonight and I don’t want him thinking he can get away with everything.” 

“Ice Prince was close,” Yohji admitted, his own expression thoughtful. “And you do act very different, but,” he smiled, “so do I.” He sat down on the bed, “Let me get you undressed and then I’ll go turn the water on.” 

He reached for Aya’s shirt, working it carefully over his lover’s head. 

“Yeah, that’s all very well,” Aya said, his words muffled by the shirt, “but if he thinks I’ve gone soft, when we’re up against Rosenkreuz, it could have serious consequences.” 

The blond got the shirt off over Aya’s head and tossed it aside. “I hadn’t thought of it from that angle. I guess you could be right.” Yohji reached for Aya’s left boot. 

Aya lifted his leg off the bed to help his lover. “Nothing changes between us, Yohji. I told you, I’ll never let you go. But from tonight it has to stay in the bedroom until we’re either safe…or dead.” 

“If that’s what you want, Aya, then,” he shrugged, ‘I’m not going to argue with it.” He pulled the boot off and dropped it onto the floor, reaching for the other one. 

Aya lifted his right leg and rested his head on his forearms. “I love you, Yohji,” he whispered. 

The blond laughed, the sound easy, happy, “So I’ve heard.” 

Aya’s head came off his arms far enough for him to glare at his lover. “Don’t get cocky,” he warned. 

The laughter and the smile died. “Sure Aya.” It stung, but Yohji hid the instant of hurt well. He’d had enough practice over the years at hiding things. 

But Aya had spent years watching Yohji and he noticed immediately. “Oh shit, Yohji, it was meant to be a joke. I’m sorry.” 

Yohji nodded, “Sure, okay,” he said, but the smile was a bit more guarded, and the laughter was gone. He dropped the other boot to the floor and reached for Aya’s pants, “Let’s get you out of those and I’ll go start the water.” 

Aya closed his eyes on his own pain. Why did he always have to screw things up? He’d been right to believe he didn’t deserve love especially as he seemed to kill it when it was given to him. “Whatever,” he muttered. 

Yohji’d had enough of both of them acting like overly emotional school girls. He swatted Aya on the ass, “Ice Bitch, that’s what I use to call you.” 

He grabbed a handful of Aya’s hair, locked his mouth to Aya’s and kissed him deeply. 

“Ice Bitch, that was it,” Aya said when they both came up for air. “Prince did seem a bit over the top.” He chuckled and lifted his hips off the bed so Yohji could pull his pants down. “So, about that bath…” 

“I’ll get it started, just give me a second, I want to make sure you aren’t damaged,” he said as he eased Aya’s pants completely off and tossed those in the general direction of the shirt. He touched Aya’s ass cheeks, and spread them carefully. 

Aya hissed a little as pressure was applied to the belt welts but stayed still for Yohji’s inspection. “I think some salt in the bath water will do the trick,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’m bleeding, just tender.” 

“This is going to hurt, but I want to make sure you aren’t bleeding. If you are hot water will make it worse.” Yohji pulled the last of the lube out of his pocket and coated one finger. Going easy he pushed it inside Aya and then pulled it free. 

“No blood. You’re just bruised in a very tender spot.” Yohji let Aya’s butt go. “Guess you’ll be fucking me for a few days, huh?” 

A slow smile spread over Aya’s features. “Oh, yes please!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Co-written with zheyrrhyn

He was a handsome boy with thick dark hair and piercing dark eyes, and he sat in the only real chair in the room as if it were a throne and he the Emperor of his own world. Looking at the boy’s eyes, revealed an unusual fact in a teen so young. They were the cold, unfeeling eyes of a killer. 

His name was Eric Crawford. And he was the son Brad had never met. 

Eric glanced at the boy sitting on the floor beside him. He had raggedly cut hair, white as snow, and was dressed in white pants and a white tunic that buttoned down his chest. Though he couldn’t have been more than eight years old, he had a collection of knives strapped to his arms and legs where they would be easy to reach. The boy in the chair was idly playing with the white locks, petting him the way others might pet a dog. 

A seat by the big picture window held a girl, her dark hair pulled back in a pony tail, her dark eyes peering out of the window from behind a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. “Eric you’re sure he won’t like us?’ 

“Yes, the boy said flatly. He’ll try to kill us Lizette. Just as they said he would.” 

“He’s a bastard,” said the boy who was standing off by himself on the other side of the room his arms folded over his chest. He was younger than the seated boy and the girl, older than that boy’s ‘pet’. There was a faint resemblance between him and the boy in the chair, though the boy leaning against the far wall was undeniably prettier. He had hair like an untamed sunset, bright orange fire that caught the daylight streaming through the widows in golden sparks. He too had a killer’s cold gaze, despite the fact that his eyes were as blue and bright as a summer sky. 

The last of their little group was an older boy, lean, with a fall of silver hair that poured down his back almost to his narrow hips. He stood looking out a window, his palms on the sill, claws glittering in the sunlight. 

Both he and the boy on the floor had eyes the colour of honey. 

“They’re coming,” he said in flawless German. 

The boy leaning against the wall said, “Ja.” 

The boy in the chair just smiled. 

The door opened to admit three more people. A tall man with green-dyed hair that fell to the middle of his back, a thick black hoop through the left side of his lower lip and cold lilac eyes was the first to enter. 

Following him was a girl with ruby-coloured hair tied up in bunches and blue eyes that radiated demented and vicious mischief. 

The last to enter was a medium sized man with medium length black hair, the bangs cut in stylish disarray. His eyes were an eerie shade of red. 

Eric leaned back in his chair, elbows resting on the arms of the chair, forefingers steepled together. He offered the newcomers a chilling smile. 

“They’ve come back.” 

The green-haired man did not return the smile. “They’ve not only come back but have also allied themselves with Weiss. Terror made the mistake of thinking that the Kritiker runaways were mundanes and were wiped out.” 

“And any of this is a surprise?’ Eric asked, but it was obvious the question was purely rhetorical. “I never believed that the Weiss were mundanes. The old bastard would never have brought them into his team if they were. What would be the point?” 

The red-haired boy smirked, the resemblance to the Schwarz telepath even more striking, “They were warned.” 

“Did anyone even suggest surprise?” green-hair queried. “Well perhaps Terror were surprised. They always were too big for their own boots.” 

Behind him the girl snickered, the sound somewhat insane. 

The pale haired boy at Eric’s feet turned to regard them, though he remained crouched on the floor, his position akin to that of an attack dog ready to spring at the utterance of the correct command. 

Eric regarded her with the same expression one would have used when finding a cockroach on their salad. “They did not listen to sound advice. They have paid the price of their folly. 

“And what about you, will you pay the price of folly also or will you listen I wonder?” 

The girl turned to regard the newcomers with the cool demeanour of a queen surveying inferiors, “Oh, I know the answer to that.” 

“We have been ordered to listen and so we will listen.” 

“Will you?” Eric asked. 

“Oh, yes, they’ll listen, if they want to live,” Lizette said as she put the tip of a finger into her mouth, eyes sparkling with humour as she walked over to stand by Eric. 

As if that were some sort of prearranged signal the other two boys crossed the room to stand by Eric and face the trio. 

“We wait then. The old bastard will bring his team here and then...” Eric let his words trail off but Lizette finished for him, “We crush them.” 

The older three nodded, a slight smirk playing round the mouth of the dark man and that insane cackle coming from the girl. The other man did not smile but he nodded in complete satisfaction. 

* * * * * * * 

Crawford got out of bed, careful not to wake Kai as he reached for his robe and glasses then left his bedroom. He paused in the living room, feeling the cool night breeze that poured in through the broken front windows. Uneasy, something gnawing at his mind, he went into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. Done with that he stood by one of the broken kitchen windows and stared out into the last vestiges of their first night back in their own time. 

Something had changed. Shifted. He rubbed his eyes and reached, trying to grasp what was different, what had altered. 

When the coffee was ready he poured three cups, stepped carefully around a few shards of broken glass and got a tray down. He put the cups on the tray and headed for Aya and Yohji’s room. 

They needed to talk, and it was best handled while the others were asleep. 

Years of night missions and sleeping with the proverbial one eye open had made Aya extremely aware of noises inside whatever he called home. So when the knock came at the door he was already wide awake. 

His body relaxed. No intruder would knock. “Come in,” he called softly, not wanting to wake Yohji unless it was necessary. 

Brad entered the room, “We need to talk,” he said and set the coffee down on the bedside table. He glanced at Yohji, face down on the bed on the other side of Aya. The blond was totally oblivious to his presence or the sound of Aya’s voice. How someone that was a killer by trade could sleep so deeply never failed to astound Crawford. 

If he’d been in Esset he’d have died long ago. 

Brad took a cup and seated himself on the bed beside Aya. “We need to talk.” 

Aya pulled himself into a sitting position, wincing very slightly as he did so. He stared coldly at Crawford for a moment before relenting and taking one of the cups of coffee. “As long as it’s not about my sister’s private life or you being a smug bastard.” He took a sip of his own coffee, gazing at the man he’d taken a beating for rather than kill. 

Brad considered what he wanted to say while he sipped his coffee. Instead of saying anything he touched Aya’s cheek, his thumb following the line of the man’s cheekbone. So delicate, yet undeniably masculine. 

To his own surprise, Aya pushed against the touch, his eyes closed, until he suddenly jerked away again almost spilling his coffee in the process. “Just say whatever it is you want to say,” he growled. 

“Shhh.. You’ll wake Yohji,” Brad cautioned as he let his hand drop. He took another sip of the coffee then said, “Something happened. I didn’t see what it was, but I can see what the result will be unless we manage to change the future.” 

“Something? You mean me being pissed at you or something else?” He frowned down at his coffee suddenly understanding something profound. Not only was he no longer angry but he was a fair way down the road to being in love with Brad. The thought of anything happening to the pre-cog made him clench his hand on his cup. 

Crawford pushed his glasses up, stared down into his coffee, “I wish it were only your anger that motivated me to come here.” His voice was soft, flat, “But it’s not. I woke up from a dream. One in which... Aya-chan, Yohji and Ken all died.” 

“No!” The word was out of his mouth before he could stop it. He had lost his sister once already and the thought of life without Yohji was too unbearable to even contemplate. 

Brad touched Aya’s lips, shook his head. He hoped Yohji would go to sleep, but instead the man pushed up onto his hands and knees, the covers falling off of him as he twisted around and sat down on the edge of the bed. 

Yohji turned to see Aya and Crawford sitting on the other side of the bed. “Decided to make up?” 

“Yeah, something like that,” Aya said, reading Brad’s signals correctly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” He went silent again, staring into his coffee as if trying to divine the future from it. 

“A dream… or a vision?” he asked eventually. 

Yohji staggered off to the bathroom, muttering something about precognitives and an ungrateful ice bitch that didn’t let him sleep. 

“For me it’s the same,” Brad replied speaking quietly. “What scares me most is I can’t see why they die. Not a damned thing. That probably means that I’m going to die too, at least that’s been my prior understanding of such lack of knowledge.” 

“It would destroy us all,” Aya said equally quietly, “including Farf and Schu. Which tells me that someone knows our weaknesses. The question is who? And what can we do to change it, of course?” 

“I can’t see who it is. Without a clue, we’re helpless to counter this.” 

Aya was pensive, quietly sipping his coffee. “And yet we must,” he said finally, “because if we don’t, we’ll all die.” 

“Yes,” Brad agreed. The toilet flushed and Yohji came staggering back out, stared at the pair of men on the bed, and flopped down onto the mattress with a soft groan. 

“Fucking five in the damned morning,” he muttered, “and they have to have coffee together in the bedroom. This isn’t a cafe, go away.” 

Aya climbed off the bed, threw on a robe and picked up his coffee. “We’ll leave you to sleep, Yotan,” he said softly. “Sorry we woke you.” 

The blond grunted a wordless reply and rolled over onto his stomach to go back to sleep 

He inclined his head towards the door and headed for it himself. Once safely in the kitchen away from all the others, he focused on the problem in hand. 

Brad had brought his own cup and the tray which he sat down on the kitchen table. 

“What could have changed the future while we slept?” he asked. “And if my questions sound dumb, I’m sorry, but I only know you have visions, not what triggers them or how someone other than yourself can change them.” 

“Changes in the future I want can trigger them. Threats to us can make me have them. My dreams are seldom welcome, they are never good.” He shook his head, “no that’s not totally true. My dream of you was good. You as my lover,” he touched the red-head’s hand, squeezed it gently. “I had that dream after the first time I saw you, at that human chess game. Remember?” 

He gave a wry smile, “I never forgot your face, or your determination to stop Reiji. It’s why I gave him to you. So you could know some sort of peace.” 

Aya smiled and returned the pressure of Brad’s fingers. “You gave me peace of a kind,” he said, “until Schrient interfered that is.” He sighed. “Peace but not happiness. I’ve only really found any happiness again in the time we’ve joined together as a team.” 

His face became grim once again. “And having found it I have no intention of giving it up to Rosenkreuz or its minions.” 

“Nor will I,” Brad replied, dark gaze showing his own determination to find a way to save his team. All of it. 

“Now the question is, what direction do we take in order to find out what we’re going up against?” 

Aya thought hard for a moment. “You say that Kritiker is up to its filthy neck in Esset/Rosenkreuz business so perhaps a spy in that camp would help.” 

Brad nodded, “The old bastard Takatori is in with them, the younger will soon be on the theory that my enemy’s enemy is now my friend. It is a mistake, but who am I to point out errors that Mamoru makes when they aid us in the end?” 

Crawford went quiet, his expression pensive, “Logically the threat has to be from Rosenkreuz. But the question is what sort of threat? Based on the way they operate,” he rubbed his jaw and stared into his coffee as if he could divine their future in the dark liquid. 

His eyes narrowed, “What would present a true threat to us?” he questioned his second in command. 

“A talent more powerful probably,” Aya said without hesitation. He stopped and thought about his answer and his eyes widened. “Especially a stronger pre-cog.” 

The Schwarz leader nodded slowly. Another precog would explain a lot. Someone as powerful as he was. But who? He had no personal knowledge of any other precog as good as he was. 

But a single precog could not account for so many of them dying at once. He got up and walked to the coffee maker, “Not one person, Aya. It would take more than just a single talent to go up against us. 

“Even Nagi couldn’t take us all on simultaneously.” 

Aya closed his eyes on that thought. He’d seen Nagi destroy a whole mansion in grief so he knew the teen could do a lot of damage before succumbing. “Then they’ve put together another team of talents,” he said. “An even stronger team than Terror and probably with enough members to take us on almost one on one.” 

“We’re going to have to send someone out for food. Even with the spectre of a dangerous future looming on the horizon, the trivialities of daily living still have to be taken care of.” 

He closed the cabinet, “Laundry and dry cleaning for instance. 

“And teaching your sister how to kill. It is possible that some of our success or failure will hinge on something as simple as that.” 

Aya glanced up then but instead of the expected glare there was pain in his eyes. “I know,” he whispered. “She could do it too.” 

He took his cup over to the sink and washed it, his mind still busy with both the threat to their future and the more mundane. “We’ll need to call a glazier, get the glass cleaned up, food, laundry, dry-cleaning, weapons. I’m assuming these assholes can be killed with normal weapons as well as our power.” 

“I’ll see if Kai can handle some of that for us.” 

Crawford slipped his arms around Aya, rested his chin on the slender man’s shoulder, breathing in the scent of his lover, relishing the closeness, the quiet moment. 

“Never expect to kill anyone very far up the ranks of Rosenkreuz with mere bullets,” Crawford told him softly, his lips testing the territory of Aya’s pale neck, a hand sliding down his body to touch his cock. 

“I’m sorry for what I said,” he murmured softly. “I hurt you, and I hurt her. I promise I won’t do it again, no matter what the motivation.” 

Aya shrugged slightly and leaned back into the embrace. “I wanted to kill you last night,” he said. “Yohji had to tie me up and beat me to calm me down.” He sighed. “Remind me also not to try jokes again. They seem to backfire on me.” 

He turned in Brad’s arms and hugged the larger man. “I have a real family again now,” he whispered. “I lost my blood family, I lost Shion and Kikyou, I walked away from Crashers rather than hurt them and I lost a quarter of Weiss. I don’t intend to lose anymore: not even _one_ of you.” 

Ken bounded into the kitchen. Stopped dead at the sight of Brad and Aya kissing with the sunrise painting Aya’s hair in a vivid blaze of red that made the two of them seem to glow as if they were wreathed in flames. 

“Gomen,” Ken said as he started to back quickly out of the kitchen. 

Aya pulled away. “It’s okay, Ken,” he said. “I’ll take care of the shopping if you can take care of things here,” he told Brad. 

“I thought we’d send Nagi and Ken shopping and the two of us could work with Aya-chan.” He actually gave the soccer player a smile, “That is if you and Nagi don’t mind going out to run some errands.” 

Ken shrugged, “Sure, I don’t see why not, although it might be a good idea to have either Yohji or Schuldig drive us. I’m more used to my bike, and traffic in the city is hell.” 

He smiled and headed for the cabinets to find something he could eat. 

“You might need to shop first, Hidaka,” Aya said dryly. “The cupboard is bare!” 

Ken frowned. “What happened to all the noodles?” He slapped himself in the forehead, “Kudoh. Late night snacks. Never mind, mystery solved.” 

Nagi wandered in then, stretching and yawning. “No food?” he asked. “I’ll get onto it. Come on, Ken, I’ll buy you breakfast.” 

“You’ll need to wake either Yohji or Schu,” Aya said. “Ken doesn’t want to drive.” 

“Can’t say I blame him.” A beatific smile spread across Nagi’s face before there was a distant thud and a muffled curse. “Schu’s awake.” 

Brad shook his head, “Well so he is, Nagi. Why don’t you and Ken get ready to go and I’ll find one of the cars for you to take.” 

The American stood there for a moment, then he bolted out of the room. Ken stared after him puzzled. 

A few moments later there was a loud whoop of joy from Crawford’s room. 

Aya chuckled behind his hand. “I guess his bank statement arrived,” he said. 

Brad came strolling out, a huge shit-eating grin on his face. “What country should we buy?” 

“Japan might be nice,” Aya said completely straight-faced. “I take it Porter came up trumps for you.” 

“Hell yes he did. Want to hear this number?” 

Nagi didn’t smile as he said, “We’d need to clear all the crap out of Japan first. Talking of which, will Rosenkreuz come to us or do we go to them?” 

“I’m not sure yet,” Brad said his smile vanishing instantly. 

Nagi took a deep breath. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked. Come on, Ken, let’s go torture Schu some more.” 

Ken nodded and followed Nagi out of the room, wondering what had chilled Crawford’s mood so badly. 

“You’ll need to tell them all sooner or later,” Aya said to Crawford, “especially if their lives are at risk, which they obviously are.” 

“I know, but I want them to have a couple of days here without the threat of the future hanging over them.” He slipped his arms around Aya, “I’ve done that as much as I could so none of them are burdened by the weight of all this.” He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, losing himself in the man’s scent. 

“I wonder if we should just run and keep running.” 

Aya held him close running soothing hands over his shoulders and down his back for a few moments until he felt him calm. “We’re not running,” he said firmly. “If my sister can do what you believe she can do we’d be running for eternity while they just got stronger and stronger.” 

He rubbed his head against Brad’s shoulder. “We need to change your dream somehow, find out who they’re using against us and deal with it.” 

“And if all that seems naïve and impossible, it’s because I was once in Weiss where everything we had to do was either naïve or impossible.” 

Brad caressed the back of Aya’s head. “I think there might be a way, but I’ll need your help, and Kudoh’s too.” 

“You know I’ll do whatever needs to be done. I can’t answer for Yohji but I’m pretty certain he will too. What have you got in mind?” 

“I know, but I’m always going to ask you. My days of demanding things are over.” 

Brad could have gladly held Aya for the rest of the day, but they had work to do, and the downfall of Rosenkruez to plan. Reluctantly he let Aya go and started to search the cabinets in hopes of finding something to eat. 

“Did Kudoh really eat all those packages of noodles?” 

Aya folded his arms and rested a butt cheek on the table. “Stop changing the subject, Brad. As for the noodles, I don’t think it was Yohji.” 

Brad found a plastic grocery bag crammed full of assorted food, most of it looking like things Ken had bought. He set it down on the counter and kept searching. “Who put this stuff away?” 

“As for changing the subject,” he began, “there isn’t much left to discuss until we know more. But if we want to run, we can make it damned difficult for them to keep up with us, Aya. My secured accounts are worth well over six billion dollars.” 

Aya’s eyes widened at that piece of news. He knew they’d made a lot by going back in time but that was a phenomenal amount by anyone’s standards. “Porter really did pay off,” he remarked. He was silent for several moments as he watched Brad put away the energy bars and sports drinks that were obviously Ken’s. He hoped Nagi and Schuldig were better at shopping. 

Finally he said what was really on his mind. “You keep talking about us running. If we do that, sooner or later they’ll find us. It only takes one of us either using or losing control of our power and they’ll track it, won’t they?” 

Crawford pulled a pan out from under the sink and started to fill it with water intending to make some of the noodles for him and Aya. 

“I had twenty million before we left,” he informed the former Weiss. “But since I would have had the secret accounts that I set up with the money from my business venture with Porter, I had more to work with in the past.....” 

The pot clattered into the sink Crawford standing there, realization dawning on him. 

“We aren’t in our original time-reality,” Brad stated softly. “What we did changed who we are very subtly. This is our time, but not the exact same reality because I did something that changed the past.” 

“By making the money, you mean, or simply by going back at all?” Aya really needed an answer to that before he even dared to use his talent again. 

Brad picked up the pot and began to fill it again while he considered Aya’s question. 

“I think it was more than just going back in time. Although, that was much farther than we’d intended to go, and to a whole different place than we’d wanted to be at the end.” 

He turned off the water and set the pot on the stove, turned it on and stood there, rubbing his right temple for a few moments. 

“We came back to what felt like our own time, our own reality, but I wonder...” he turned to look at Aya. “Tell me something, do you feel any different?” 

“I’ve been happier,” Aya said slowly, “but I’d put that down to circumstances.” He frowned, thinking about the question. “It’s subtle but, yes, I think I do. But… this must be our time. We came back to find Terror still attacking us.” 

“But that’s just it, it is and it isn’t our exact reality. Time yes, reality no.” The American crossed the room and dropped down into a seat and it was readily apparent that Crawford was deep in thought. 

“Do you remember the Rosen gunmen being with Terror when we left?” 

Aya thought back. “No,” he said finally. “There was a wave of malevolence, presumably courtesy of Nightmare, Schu screaming they were here, then we shifted.” 

“I should have realized it, but” Brad spread his hands, “I didn’t. None of us did.” 

“So, if we get back to our own reality that dream should change?” 

“That’s just it, I don’t think we can. This is our reality now.” 

He closed his eyes, tried to look ahead, tried to see what lay in their future. It was a simple attempt, peeking to see which package of noodles Aya would choose for them to eat. 

Done he looked at Aya, “Water’s hot, which package of noodles do you want to eat?” 

Aya shook his head, still trying to get it round the ramifications of time. “Oh…er…shrimp and mushroom?” 

Brad shoved the bag toward Aya, “Why don’t you see what we have and then choose.” 

Aya rummaged through the bag turning his nose up when he realised there were none with any kind of fish in them. Sighing slightly he picked out a beef flavoured one. 

Crawford looked up at Aya, “Do you really want a shrimp flavoured one?” 

Aya frowned. “There aren’t any shrimp flavoured ones.” 

“Humour me and look in the drawer next to the refrigerator.” 

Mystified Aya got off the table and opened the designated drawer. There, half buried under cutlery and packets of chopsticks was a pack of shrimp flavoured noodles. 

“Find them?” Brad questioned as he turned around to see the red-head standing there with the noodles in question. 

Aya nodded, still frowning. “And this proves what exactly?” 

“That was a test of my precognitive ability, Aya. I can still see the future, so that has not altered.” 

“But… I thought you said you found me difficult to see in any future? Yet you predicted what I would want and where I would find it.” 

Brad smirked, he just couldn’t help himself, “I didn’t look at you, Aya, I looked at the bowl of noodles I am going to be eating in a few minutes.” 

“Smug bastard,” Aya said without heat. “Well at least our talents seem to work the same way. But we still need to change that dream…” He sighed realising that he suddenly cared about people again. Well, nine people, at least. The rest of humanity could fend for themselves. 

Crawford got up from the table and crossed to where Aya was standing to slip his arms around the shorter man. He rested his chin on Aya’s head smelling the lingering fragrance of shampoo, the faint trace of cigarette smoke the red-head carried from sleeping with Kudoh. 

“I love you,” Brad murmured. It still felt so strange to utter such words to anyone. He’d had to be so cautious of every action, every word while they’d been with Esset that the ability to just live as he wished, be in love and be loved was a novelty. One he would never willingly lose. 

He tightened his hold on Aya, possessing, possessed by the man he held. He didn’t care that he had to share, so long as he had even some part of the other man’s heart, his love, it was enough. 

“Pretty,” Farfarello remarked as he entered the kitchen to pour himself some coffee, the Irishman seeing what neither of them could. 

They were standing in front of the broken window, sunlight turning the fragments of glass into a jagged halo. A pair of the Fallen embracing. 

“You’re still a smug bastard,” Aya murmured but his arms had gone round Brad’s neck of their own volition and he was snuggled very comfortably against the American’s chest. He had an epiphany of sorts as he realised that he would do whatever he needed to do to save this man as much as he would Yohji…or Kai. 

That thought gave him pause and he tilted his head back to look up at Crawford. “Can you love more than one person at a time?” 

“Yes.” There was no hesitation in the reply at all. “Do you think I don’t love Schuldig, Farfarello or Nagi? There are many kinds of love, Aya.” He caressed Aya’s cheek, smoothing away a lock of fiery hair, “I think I’m starting to love that bastard blond of yours.” 

Farfarello grinned, “A lot to love. Pretty face, lovely body, nice tight ass...” 

“Thank you, Farf,” Aya said with a smile, “we all know his good points.” 

“I’m going to walk the grounds, do a little clean up of assorted trash before we have any visitors.” Farfarello went out the damaged back door cup in hand. “Hello dead people, having fun in hell?” he asked the corpses littering the back patio. 

Aya shook his head in mock disbelief. “I even love that weird Irishman,” he said, “we’re definitely not back where we were…or I’m not.” 

Brad reluctantly let Aya go, “Farfarello is certainly different,” the American stated as he glanced out of the window at Farfarello. The man was dragging a corpse into the heavy growth surrounding the house, singing a song he’d learned in Sacramento. 

“And you don’t think it’s simply down to what we experienced back then, do you? It’s something to do with having changed our future…” He went silent, considering the options. “Or it could simply be hope. That’s something none of us have had for a very long time.” 

“Think about it. Our relationships have greatly changed. Yours, mine, even Farfarello has been greatly affected by things we did there. He is very protective of the members of Schwarz, and that now includes all you former Weiss.” 

He turned to regard Aya, “You let him fuck Yohji, Yohji permitted him to do it. When we initially left, would either of you have considered such an act? No, of course you wouldn’t have. So, that being the case, we’ve changed a great deal of our own future by coming back here as different people. Our relationship has matured into that of a team, of lovers and friends. No longer are we two teams forced to work with one another for the sake of simple survival. We are a single team.” 

The man’s expression became thoughtful, “What I have to discover is what weakness of ours they will exploit, and how to counteract that weakness to bring us out of this alive.” 

Crawford went back to the kitchen table, sat down and considered what he’d seen in the dream, trying to pick individual elements out of the whole, seeking an answer. 

A frown hardened his mouth, “Their team is as strong as we are. I’m certain of that.” 

He came up out of his seat so fast it overturned his chair, the American staring at Aya in shock. “Genetic constructs. They’d have to be.” 

“Like Zeshin you mean?” Aya asked. Privately he thought their weakness might be their very closeness, but he’d always thought that way and that alone was comforting. He hadn’t changed completely. 

Brad righted the chair, “Yes...” his eyes narrowed, the glasses glinting in the morning light. He sat down, his brows furrowing with the intensity of his thoughts. “They wouldn’t have duplicated any of you Weiss. There wouldn’t have been any reason to do so, but... us, the original Schwarz.” He raised his gaze to Aya, “We know what Zeshin is, Farfarello’s genetic son with a leopard for his technical mother. Esset and Rosenkruez had more than ample opportunity to gain genetic material from any of us, Nagi also if they went through our trash.” 

“I’ve made a terrible oversight in that. I’d never even considered their insane genetic experiments. Takatori Masafumi’s work helped them immensely, even though his own experiments were the results of a madman, what he learned about genetic manipulation would have been used to their own benefit. 

“My guess is we’ll be fighting genetically enhanced versions of Schwarz.” 

* * * * * * * 

Erik opened his eyes, stared at his waiting team. “The old bastard is clever. He knows what he’s up against, just not exactly who.” 

“That works in our favour,” the red-eyed man said, “and with the addition of those of us without Schwarz blood it strengthens our hand even more.” 

He had hardly finished his little speech before green-hair turned at incredible speed and backhanded him. “Don’t be rude, Geisl!” 

Erik smirked, unaware how much he looked like his hated progenitor. “Now now children, don’t fight. Besides,” the boy’s eyes glittered, “who here doesn’t have Schwarz blood?” 

“I want more of their blood, preferably flowing over the blade of my knives,” the youngest boy said as he studied the bright edge of a knife he held in his small fist. 

“Apparently Geisl thinks he doesn’t,” green-hair said. “For your information, Geisl, Schwarz’ genetic material was used in many experiments and who knows, you may just be the result of one of them.” 

He turned to Erik. “My apologies, sir, Geisl has a big mouth.” 

“Not to worry,” Erik replied. “We have ways of making...” he smiled the look colder than a glacial wind, “corrections.” The boy gave a nod to his red-haired team mate. 

Alec lifted a hand, his expression bored as he tossed Geisl across the room with casual indifference. 

“I can do that too,” the girl said with a giggle. 

“Why, yes, you certainly can,” Erik agreed. He would be much happier when he was given permission to end the mentally unstable girl’s existence, but for the moment they needed her. 

Lizette slid one arm across her brother’s shoulders and sat down on the arm of his chair. “I’m not sure they fully appreciate the opportunity they’ve been given in working with us. Perhaps they need a better demonstration.” 

Green hair bowed low. “I’m sure no further demonstration is actually necessary, fraulein, but if it pleases you, carry on.” 

Erik reached up and touched his sister’s cheek, “I’m sure they understand now, Lizette. 

“She hates it when anyone questions my leadership.” 

“Perfectly understandable, sir. I assume you already know our names but perhaps the others might wish to know who we are. I am Berger, a powerful telepath. Layla as you have already realised is a telekinetic whilst Geisl has some talent as a pyrokinetic.” 

The sleek silver haired boy just offered them a smile, the pronounced canine teeth in his mouth showing he wasn’t entirely human. “We know who you are. Lord Erik told us.” 

“Powerful telepath,” the red-haired boy snorted derisively. 

Erik snapped his fingers and the boy who’d just spoken dropped to his knees, head bowed. 

“Forgive me, my Lord.” He was trembling, afraid of what the older boy might do. 

“You are forgiven... this time, Alec. Mind your words in the future, they are mine, just as you are. You won’t be warned again,” Erik stated quietly. 

“Thank you my Lord,” the boy said quietly. 

“Forgotten.” 

The boy got to his feet, the arrogance drained out of him. 

Berger was not slow. He might not like the situation but he would work with Erik if it meant the downfall of Schwarz. 

"Well, now that we've established the pecking order like a good little flock of Rosenkreuz operatives," Erik began, "it's time to get down to the business of learning to work together." 

“Erik!” The voice was harsh although feminine. “I really hope you’re not playing your stupid games again. Berger, Geisl and Layla have the necessary talents to fill the holes in your ranks. Alec is good, yes, but he needs the original to copy. Do I make myself understood?” 

The speaker was a tall, slim woman in her late thirties dressed simply in a black suit and dark red shirt. Her dark brown hair was scraped back into a severe bun and her blue eyes were cold and hard. 

“Yes mother, you have,” the boy replied a bit sullenly. 

She moved further into the room and gazed round at all of them. “And if anyone is going to give demonstrations of power or hand out punishments it will be me. Schwartz has grown from the original four to ten, all of them talents so this is not going to be a walkover even for you.” 

Erik turned his cool gaze on the woman, “Perhaps not. But I believe they aren’t as great a threat as you might imagine,” the boy remarked softly. “Oracle has found love.” The boy smiled nastily, “And that is a weakness we can easily exploit.” 

“Oh really? And if his lovers are more powerful than you could ever imagine? Where do you think they were when things changed in a split second? And how do you think they got there? Underestimate them at your peril, Erik.” 

The boy sighed, “Kill even him, and, like a house of cards, the whole structure will fail. I’ve seen it, Mother.” 

She shut her eyes. “No you little fool, that’s precisely what has changed! Instead of people having to work together to survive, they’ve meshed, become a team, formed bonds that you could never understand!” 

Erik’s expression was pained. “Mother, please, let’s not argue in front of the help. It’s so demeaning.” 

“You demean yourself, Erik. Only when you are strong enough will you inherit Rosenkreuz. Right now you’re just a know-it-all teen.” 

“Forgive me, Mother,” the boy said. “But I’m sure you didn’t come here to remind me of my failings. Tell us to what we owe this unexpected visit.” 

It wasn’t unexpected. Not in the least, but Erik didn’t reveal everything he knew, just what he wanted his team to know. 

And he certainly wasn’t about to share all of his secrets with his dear Mother. 

Oh, no, she could find out a few things on her own. 

Like how she would die. 

He offered her a smile that was all sweetness as he got out of his seat, “Please Mother, come sit down. Make yourself comfortable.” 

She ignored the offer of a seat, instead crossing the room to the window where she perched on the sill. “So you have all done your homework and know the correct way to take down Schwarz. Excellent. But what if I told you I want some of them alive?” 

“What? Why?” Erik demanded. 

Lizette frowned, “But you told us they all had to die.” 

“Erik, Erik, I would have thought you would have seen… Or don’t you want to live forever?” 

“The girl?” He shrugged. “She alone cannot insure immortality. Either by accident or attack, one can still die.” 

Yes, he’d considered it, but there were many reasons he felt trying to keep her alive would not be beneficial, not the least of which was the fact that she would have to be mentally broken and at her age there was no guarantee she would not die in the process. 

His mother tilted her head in acknowledgement. “Good, you’re thinking clearly. But there is one thing you do need to do. Forge the assembled people into a team. If you don’t you will fail, I’ve seen that very clearly.” 

Her cold stare roamed the room, settling on each of them in turn. “Underestimate what you are up against and none of you will ever return here.” 

“Why Mother, I was just in the process of explaining that to our colleagues,” the boy stated, giving her a sly smile. 

“Yes, he was,” Lizette stated, giving her brother a quick hug which was returned. 

The woman smiled suddenly but it was as cold as the rest of her. “Yes, of course you were,” she said, “so well in fact that Geisl now has some respect for you. Such a pity that I do not but then you were always a disappointment to me, Erik.” 

With that she rose to her feet and was simply gone, teleporting out of the room. 

For a second the boy’s shoulders slumped, but his sister gripped his hand and held it tight, Alec moving in to set a hand on his brother’s arm. 

*She’ll be the one sorry for talking to you like that Erik. We just have to follow the path you say will end with her dead at Crawford’s hands. Then we’ll be free and you can lead us.* 

*Yes, Chimera. He’ll kill her, then we will kill him and take the girl and their biokinetic as our own.*


	4. Chapter 4

They’d turned the house on the outskirts of Bangkok into a fortress in the space of a week. All the glass was now bullet proof, they were armed to the teeth and Aya-chan had been taken aside by her brother and, regretfully, shown how to use her power to kill. 

“Now it all makes sense,” she said with a sigh. “I kept wondering why Brad bothered to bring me to you and why you were all so protective of me.” 

“You really believe this was the only reason?” Her brother’s eyes were full of pain as he asked her that and she ran to hug him. 

“Not for you or Zen, no.” 

“Not for any of us, Aya. You’re one of us and always have been.” 

She smiled and nodded but her eyes were sad. “And I’ll kill to protect you all if I have to,” she promised. 

“You will stay well back of any danger and only use your power to defend yourself,” Brad said from the kitchen doorway. The man was in a pale cream suit so at odds with his prior sombre colours. Even the shirt he wore, a soft dove grey silk, was the mark of a man of means who set his own fashion, not someone blindly following conservative rules. “You are not to endanger yourself to protect us. Understood?” 

“Even though you all do?” she asked but there was relief there too. She knew that without her there would be no ‘happy ever after’ and all the men around her had earned that. 

“That’s a totally different story. Without you, your brother and Kai, I fear we won’t fare very well. You have the power to keep us young forever, Kai can heal us, and Aya...” he smiled warmly at the man he loved, “can take us any when we wish to go.” 

“Which they probably know by now,” Aya pointed out. “But I can see them wanting to keep Kai and my sister for their own damned uses.” 

“I’ll die first,” Aya-chan said hotly. Having been told about Rosenkreuz she was not about to sign up to any recruitment programmes. 

“You die, we all die. You have to stay alive. Tell her, Brad.” 

Crawford pushed his glasses up, “If the rest of us are dead, she’d be better off putting a bullet in her own head than being taken by them, my love. Kai also would be better of killing himself than being taken.” 

He stepped out onto the patio, “And if it comes down to it, I’d put a bullet in your head rather than let them take you.” He gave a bitter smile, “And I’ll kill myself if I think they’re about to take me, because I won’t go back to being their dog.” 

The American put a hand on the girl’s shoulder, “But, you aren’t to put yourself in any danger, not to save any of us. And if it comes to it, I want you to run keep running and don’t look back. If we’re able to fight our way out we’ll find you, but if it looks like we’re going to lose, you run. Understood?” 

Aya-chan had listened carefully, her eyes getting bigger and bigger as Brad had said his piece. She nodded. Now she really did understand. “Excuse me,” she said and went back into the house looking for Zeshin. 

Aya smiled crookedly at Brad. The American’s words had been harsh and without sugar-coating but they had reached his sister where he had not. “Thank you…I think.” 

Crawford pulled Aya into his arms, “I want her to understand that this isn’t a game. And, if it comes down to it, she’s better off dead than in their hands.” He sighed, I know Schuldig and Farfarello won’t let themselves be taken alive. I doubt anyone in Rosenkruez has the ability to take Nagi, but I worry what he would do if something happens to me.” 

“Probably destroy half the world while I was shattering the other half,” Aya said and he wasn’t entirely joking. He glanced up into eyes the colour of liquid honey. He wanted to say, “Only nothing is going to happen to you or any of us,” but he knew that wasn’t the case. They weren’t easy to kill but it wasn’t impossible either. 

Brad tipped his head, a faraway look in his eyes. “I wish..” he shook his head, “I wish I could tell you we’d all be safe and happy, but... I won’t lie to you.” 

“No, don’t ever lie to me,” Aya said. “I’m strong enough to handle the truth whatever it may turn out to be.” He was about to say more but a mental ping from Schuldig stopped him in his tracks. 

*Shielded minds, Vater, heading this way.* 

*Let everyone know that this is not a drill or a game. We are about to be attacked,* he thought to the German as he gave Aya a quick but heated kiss. 

“Remember I love you, Aya,” he said as he turned and hurried into the house. 

Aya followed him in, shutting the strengthened door behind him. If Rosenkreuz had sent human gunmen they were safe, but the organisation knew they were up against more than Schwarz and a few untrained minds by now and would send at least some talents every time they attacked. 

“Get this place locked down, and break out the heavy guns,” Crawford ordered, the snap of command in his voice. He turned to Aya, “Do you recall Takatori Masafumi’s experiments?” 

As the rest of the team hurried to obey in carefully rehearsed movements, Aya nodded. “I’m never likely to forget them,” he said. 

“Well we’re about to meet the new and improved, psychically gifted version.” The precog actually shuddered as his team gathered around him. 

“People we’re about to be attacked by horror movie monsters. Stay sharp and use lead and steel as much as possible to take them down. They’re shielded against mental attack and they are going to be hard as hell to kill.” 

“When you say mental attack, does that mean Nagi and Ken can’t touch them?” Kai asked hoping it didn’t. 

Brad spared a second to brush his hand over Kai’s cheek, “No, Schuldig can’t affect them even with Kudoh’s help, so there’s no point in him drawing energy from him. And the rest of you should go easy. Yohji can’t afford to pass out and be helpless in this fight.” 

He spun and headed for the living room, “You all know your places. Get to them!” 

They scrambled until there was someone behind every window and door, ready to repel whatever tried to get in. Schuldig grinned at Yohji. “If you need to, concentrate on Nagi, Ken and Kai,“ he said, “but see what they can do without you boosting them first.“ Then he drew out his gun. 

Yohji nodded as he pulled on his gloves. He’d already put on his new mission coat as he wanted the slight protection it would afford him from claws. 

Ken peered through the slit in the steel shutters over the window. It was still daylight but the sun would go down in under an hour. 

“Do you think they’ll wait until dark?” he asked loudly enough for Brad who was at the kitchen door to hear. 

“No,” was the precog’s reply. 

Zeshin was in Brad’s office, his eyes focused on the barred and shuttered window. This was where he and Aya-chan would be during the fight, the girl hiding under Crawford’s heavy steel lined oak desk. He gave her a light kiss, “Stay under there,” he told her as he handed her light pistol and three clips of bullets. 

Farfarello stood before the doorway of the living room, his head tilted to one side, listening. 

Aya quickly pulled on a thick leather coat, long enough to take his katana and saya in a special interior pocket. Leather miser mitts followed and he drew his automatic from his shoulder holster. 

Kai held up a hand, listening as Farfarello had been doing. Then they all heard it. Snuffling, grunting and the movement of heavy bodies. There was a smell too, musky yet rancid that made the skin on their necks crawl. 

Zeshin growled at the rank stink, “Remember, stay under here,” he admonished Aya-chan one last time before he went to the tightly barred window. 

Brad shouted, “Watch overhead. One is going to come in through the roof right over your position Abyssinian.” 

Roaring, shrieking, the monsters came at the house. 

Yohji drew his Desert Eagle, .50 calibre handgun. He, Brad and Farfarello were the only three who carried the very heavy pistols. 

Farfarello wasn’t using his pistol, he’d opted for an Alliant made XM8 assault rifle. Grinning he stuck the business end of the rifle out of the window port and waited. 

Ken closed his eyes, focusing on his power, making sure he had it under control then he drew his Browning Mark III 9m and waited for the enemy to come to him. 

Nagi didn’t draw any weapon. Instead he waited his hands flexing as he gathered his power. 

Kai also had an assault rifle, an AK-47 set on single shot, and was on the other side of the house to Farfarello. 

Brad’s warning made Aya look upwards just as a large tentacle smashed through the roof above his head. He raised his gun and fired. 

*Schuldig, link with Kudoh and bring up the mental net. Shield everyone, quickly! Place special emphasis on Zeshin!* Brad fired his new pistol just as the door in front of him cracked, a huge fist showing in the break. 

*Use your katana, bullets are useless against tentacles!* Yohji reminded Aya as he reached outward with his power trying to find Mastermind. 

Half the wall where Ken was standing cracked as something huge hit it. He crouched, waiting for whatever was about to come through, deciding that the gun wasn’t going to cut it and bringing up his pyrokinetic power instead. 

Aya dropped the gun and drew the katana, slicing the tentacle off of whatever it was attached to. There was a high-pitched scream and something large fell off the roof. Seemingly his bullet had got it too. 

Schuldig flowed into Yohji’s mind and together they raised the mental shield, concentrating their efforts around Zeshin and the study. At the same time he shot a reptilian monstrosity that was getting a little too close. 

Kai’s assault-rifle barked and there was a guttural groan of agony. 

The front door was shattered off it’s hinges, Farfarello dodging aside and opening fire on a nightmarish creature with the face of a dog but the body of a gorilla. The creature gave a roar and charged at Farfarello who opened fire, the burst of high powered bullets ripping the monstrosity’s belly open. 

Something hit the wall outside Brad’s office, the window shattering just before the shutters bent. Zeshin walked over calmly and stuck his pistol into the narrow slot in the steel shutters, pulling the trigger twice. 

There was a keening, pitched scream, the sound hammering at their minds. 

Zeshin yowled in agony, the leopard boy staggering hands over his ears. 

Schuldig took more power from Yohji and deadened the appalling noise to manageable levels for everyone including the leopard boy. *Somebody kill whatever’s making that fucking noise. We can’t hold this much longer!* 

Nagi, having crushed a huge hippo like creature, calmly walked into the study looking for the source of the noise. It was small, obviously female and appeared to have fishlike scales. He concentrated and the keening stopped as the creature exploded from within. 

Yohji had been taking hits on several fronts, the keening sound had grated on his nerves-- but that was over finally, thanks to Nagi-- but the energy pulled from him while the German had tried to shield them from the screamer had taken a toll. He felt tired from the drain, and whatever was trying to get into the house through the window he was protecting didn’t seem to feel any of the bullets he was pumping into it. 

Ken backed away as the wall crumbled taking part of the roof with it as a mass of writhing tentacles poured in through the crumbling ruins, the very concrete decaying as the thing touched it. 

“Fuck that,” Ken snarled and let go with a blast of fire that withered the fleshy mass. Outside there was a roar of pain from something so huge the cry made the whole house vibrate. 

Aya moved to shield Yohji who was staggering from the energy Schuldig had to drain from him. The katana sang its song of death and steel and two more ugly horrors bled out blackish blood over the garden. 

Kai was still firing at a huge shape that he was glad he couldn’t actually see. The rifles' bullets seemed to have no effect. Frowning he concentrated. The thing started whining then whimpering but he didn’t stop and when he finally opened his eyes it was unmoving. The use of his power on it had its toll though and he staggered in near exhaustion. 

They couldn’t keep this up much longer. 

Flailing tentacles whipped in at Ken, flinging the pyrokinetic backward through the interior wall, the brunet coming through into the living room amid a shower of broken plaster and fragmented wood. He hit the floor unmoving. 

Zeshin emptied the clip in his gun and reloaded it, just in time to keep another reptilian horror with a mouthful of shark’s teeth from getting in through the ruined window. 

Farfarello stepped into the doorway, his rifle snarling, tearing the gorilla faced horror into hash, the Irishman turning to empty the clip into the writhing mass of rubbery limbs trying to get into the house through the broken wall. Everywhere it touched the plants had died, even the driveway looking as if it were decaying. 

“Don’t fucking let it touch you,” he warned as he dodged one of the whipping appendages. 

At the rear door Brad was calmly reloading his Desert Eagle while a slithering thing with the head of a tiger and the arms of woman came across the patio toward him. 

Having ascertained that Yohji was able to hold his own again, Aya turned his attention to the tentacles and realised there was nothing he could do without losing his katana blade. Nagi came to join him and gazed at the writhing mass. 

*Schu, I’m going to need Yohji’s help.* 

*Okay, most of the rest is dead or dying anyway.* 

Nagi tapped into Yohji’s power taking only enough for what he needed to do. Then he ‘pushed’ and kept pushing, forcing the tentacles to retreat. Once away from the others he systematically crushed them into bloody pulp. 

At the other end of the house Brad opened fire on the thing coming at him, the bullets punching gaping holes in it’s body. It was injured but not dead. Brad saw what was about to happen but he wasn’t quite fast enough, the thing spitting a streamer of venom at him. He dodged anyway, the stuff hitting the tiles of the kitchen and splashing, some of it hitting the leg of his pants. 

It sizzled on the tiles and burned through the cloth of Brad’s trousers, the American cursing as it hit skin. He blew it’s head off, and limped to the sink, filling a dirty glass with water that he dumped over the burning venom eating into his skin. 

The roaring chaos of battle became the numbed silence of a fight that had ended. 

Kai was sliding down what remained of the wall, totally exhausted but his eyes opened abruptly at Nagi’s screamed out, “KEN!” 

He turned his head to see Ken lying on the floor, visibly aging before his eyes and he had no strength left to help him. 

Then a strange thing happened. Aya-chan crawled out from under the desk and, brushing both Zeshin and Nagi aside, ran to Ken’s side. There was a bright flash of power and then he saw no more, sinking into exhaustion. 

Yohji staggered over to the biokinetic and put a hand on Kai’s shoulder, “We have to help Brad, he’s been poisoned.” 

Zeshin walked into the room, looking around at the wreckage. “Where’s Farfarello?” 

“Out here,” the Irishman said loudly. “I’m making sure all these fuckers are dead.” 

And he was, using his biggest knife-- something close to being a sword-- to hack the creatures to pieces, all but the one that Nagi had taken care of as he didn’t want to get anywhere near that particular horror. 

Even one of their cars was ruined, the whole front end a mass of rust, the tires turned to dust. 

Kai groaned and attempted to get his legs under him again. He was helped by Aya coming up on his other side and bracing himself under his shoulder. 

“Ken’s going to be okay,” he said encouragingly, “and Brad’s not as badly hurt. Please Kai.” 

Kai managed to nod and between the three of them they somehow got to the kitchen and Brad. 

Yohji looked at Aya over the boy’s head, *No, Brad’s injury isn’t too bad, but Aya, that’s poison eating into him. Do you think the kid can undo that?* 

Brad was seated in one of the kitchen chairs, slowly pouring more water over his leg. He looked up as the trio came into the kitchen, got to his feet and walked over to them. He took Aya’s face between his hands and kissed him. 

“Sit down,” Aya said when they broke apart, “and let Kai take a look at that leg.” From the glance he’d got, it looked like an acid burn and it was eating into the flesh as they spoke. His eyes were worried as he gazed at Kai. 

“Yohji, I hope you’ve still got some strength left,” was all that Kai said as he knelt and placed his hands over the limb, careful not to actually make contact with it. 

Yohji dropped into a chair, his hand on Kai’s shoulder. “Son of a... bitch...” he grated out, able to feel the pain coming off of Brad like waves off of a poisoned sea. 

Brad was looking into Aya’s eyes, “I love you. All three of you,” he said, but his gaze never left Aya. 

*Stop that! I’ve no intention of letting you die,* Aya sent but his hand remained in Brad’s feeling his grip as pain coursed through him. 

Kai was tired and unsure how to deal with this particular wound. He couldn’t simply close it up, the way he had with Yohji, as the poison was still in there. The pain was appalling and he admired Brad’s stoicism in bearing it so well. Then an idea occurred to him and he called to Nagi. 

“Can you draw out the poison?” he asked, hoping he was making some sense. 

Luckily Nagi nodded his understanding and pulled with his power. A dark, viscous fluid bubbled up out of the wound and Nagi contained it and took it safely outside before dumping it on one of the carcasses where it continued to hiss and erode flesh. 

Kai took a deep breath, prayed to all and any powers that looked after killers and closed the wound before falling back in a dead faint. 

“Well that was a bitch,” Yohji remarked and spilled bonelessly out of his chair. 

Brad sat where he was for the span of two heartbeats then he got to his feet. “Those of you able to, get as much as possible packed. I’m going to take the remaining car and get us another vehicle. Schuldig comes with me to drive the second car. Make sure we have our passports, we’re leaving Bangkok.” 

Aya nodded, a grim smile playing round his mouth. He went to see how Ken was and stopped in his tracks. The jock, although a bit battered round the edges, was on his feet and as near a going concern as made no odds. He stared at his sister who smiled back smugly. 

“Finally found a use for myself,” she said. “Shall we go see what we can salvage out of this mess?” 

Ken shook his head slowly, rubbing his face as if he’d just woken from a very deep sleep. “I feel... well as they used to say in that town... as if I was rode hard and put away wet.” 

“You pretty much were,” Aya told him. “And you really don’t want to know anymore than that! You up to scavenging and packing? We need to find all the passports.” 

“I’ll give him a hand,” Nagi said quietly, “and thank you, Aya-chan… just thank you.” He turned to Aya. “I’ll thank Kai and Yohji when they come round.” 

“Aya, you should get some food into Kai and Kudoh before we leave. Nagi I want you to take care of making arrangements for our plane out of here and our accommodations at the other end. We’re going to Moscow. We’ll leave when Schuldig and I get back. Aya, you are in charge, get everyone packed and be ready to leave when we return.” 

Brad regarded his ruined suit somewhat ruefully, “I should change before we leave. Can’t go looking for a rental car looking like this now can I?” 

Aya actually chuckled at that. “Not really,” he said. He gave Brad a quick hug and then turned his attention to the two unconscious men on the kitchen floor wondering exactly how he was supposed to feed them. Ah well, they could sleep on the plane. 

Schuldig grabbed a jacket and the car keys and wiped most of the dirt off his face. “Ready when you are, Vater.” 

Aya-chan caught one of Zeshin’s hands. “We’ll deal with the passports, Ran.” 

Nagi was already lifting chunks of masonry and roofing off of their belongings. 

“Go clean up Schu, I need to change my suit,” Brad said to the telepath who had a spatter of something black and sticky across his shirt. 

Farfarello came into the house, “They’re all dead,” he said tossing aside the blade he’d used. “Masafumi’s monsters,” he muttered. “Fucking psycho.” 

Zeshin put an arm around Aya-chan, “I know where my passport is, come on.” 

Ken stumbled after Nagi, “Want me to get our stuff packed?” he asked. 

“Farf, give Ken and Nagi a hand will you? I need to wake up the sleeping beauties here and feed them.” 

Schuldig looked down at his ruined clothes and sighed ruefully. “Okay,” he said, “I’ll be five minutes.” 

Farfarello nodded, “Sure Aya, I’ve got a stash of hot cocoa in the cabinet over the stove behind the flour,” he admitted. “That should help revive them.” 

Brad vanished into his room, frowning at the collapsed wall, “So much for this house ever being liveable.” He shrugged. It could be torn down and rebuilt, or he could write off his loss and sell it. 

Aya smiled up at the Irishman with a word of thanks and rose to his feet to get the cocoa. 

Schuldig disappeared into the ruin of his bedroom and Aya-chan began to go through all their papers. 

Brad tossed his wrecked suit aside. It wasn’t one of his favourites, but he’d only gotten it a week ago. “Nagi, make sure to clean out the safe too, please. Aya-chan doesn’t have the combination.” 

Nagi moved another pile of roof tiles before looking round. “Okay. Leave it to us. We know what to do.” He sniffed and grimaced. The carcasses were beginning to stink already. “The sooner you get back with a car the better.” 

“Be packed and ready,” Brad told the boy as he headed for the front door. “Schuldig, let’s go!” 

The stench coming off the dead monsters made them work like beavers and the remaining car was packed with half of their stuff by the time Brad and Schuldig returned with another. The other half was sitting on the driveway ready to go. 

Crawford didn’t even turn the car off, “Let’s move people,” he said at the house and honked the horn on the car. 

They appeared, not from the house but from the vicinity of the other car and immediately packed the trunk of the hire car with the rest of their gear. 

Aya climbed behind the wheel of the other car and they divided themselves between the two vehicles in short order, leaving behind a wrecked house and piles of stinking flesh. 

“Schuldig, I want you to watch for Rosenkruez agents. I’ve a sneaking suspicion we’re going to be watched, but not attacked. Not soon at any rate,” Crawford ordered as he put the rental car into gear. “If you spot any it is imperative that you swat them like the irritating insects they are.” 

“And tell Aya that they need to try and get Kudoh awake and aware enough to help you when we reach the airport. You’ve got to get us through with all of our weapons and that’s going to take a lot of effort on both your parts. 

“Nagi, you’ll have to help him by scrambling the metal detectors and x-ray machines if you can.” 

“Sounds like you’re expecting trouble,” Ken commented. 

“I am. My weapon’s dealer friend in Moscow is dead and we won’t have time to make a new contact before we need to defend ourselves, so we need to hold onto what we’ve got.” 

“Then why go to Moscow?” 

“Because the only other flight out is heading for Japan, and that is somewhere we don’t need to go right now. Not with Kritiker about to get into bed with Rosen in an attempt to bring us down.” 

Nagi gave Ken’s hand a reassuring squeeze after that piece of news. It must be awful for his lover to realise the boy he’d once idolised was so determined to kill him that he would side with their enemies against them. 

Schuldig, meanwhile, didn’t argue or comment as he knocked politely on Aya’s shields. *Vater wants Yohji awake and aware by the time we reach the airport.* 

*No problem, Schu, he’s coming to now. He’ll be ready when we get there.* 

He sent his thanks and concentrated on monitoring for agents. He found four and left them with their brains scrambled. 

The rest of the trip to the airport progressed smoothly. They picked up their tickets at the counter and headed for the security area. 

“This is where things will get tricky. We can’t afford any mistakes. Is that understood? Work together and I hope to hell you do a better job of it this time than you did fighting those monsters because, gentlemen, that was a truly astounding display that fully demonstrated your inability to function as a unit,” Brad informed them coolly. 

Nobody found anything to say to that but they had every intention of getting through security with their weapons, their persons and their pride intact. 

Schuldig borrowed some strength from Yohji and made them virtually invisible whilst Nagi gave all the machines an electronic heart attack that wasn’t even noticed by those monitoring them. 

Their bags were loaded on the plane with no fuss at all and soon they were sitting in the first class area heading for Russia. 

“And while we’re in transit I want all of you to be considering how best you can fight together in the future, because if we’re to continue to live, your ability to work as a unit is an imperative,” Brad told them as they settled into their seats. 

“We beat the monsters,” Kai muttered. 

“Yeah, we did but we nearly lost both Ken and Brad doing it,” Aya said. 

“We were fighting as individuals, not a team. We’re going to get dead if we keep doing that,” Yohji commented sleepily as he rested his head on Aya’s shoulder and closed his eyes. 

“He’s right of course,” Farfarello remarked. “And every one of us is guilty of that.” 

“I think those things made it pretty clear that we can’t depend on a conventional house to protect us either,” Ken added thoughtfully. 

“I can‘t think of any structure, conventional or otherwise that would keep those monstrosities out, especially those tentacled horrors that decayed anything they touched,” Aya said with a frown. “I don’t think it’s bricks and mortar that can protect us from things like that. I think it’s our powers, used in concert with our fighting skills.” 

“Your powers, once so latent, are growing all the time,” Schuldig said, “but more than that, they’re beginning to merge with ours to make even greater power. Power that needs to be directed and used.” 

“But how?” Ken asked. “I mean... how do we merge them into something that can protect us and let us fight at the same time?” 

Farfarello smiled, “That’s easy.” 

Brad leaned back in his seat, a smirk playing at his lips. “Elucidate, Berserker.” 

“Yohji’s the battery. Aya-chan and Aya can alter the power with time, and Nagi controls it.” 

“Okay..,” Aya said slowly, “how do you want our time-power used in a fight like the one we just had?” 

Farfarello considered it for a moment, “The way I see it,” he began, “is that Yohji’s really just stored power.” The man chuckled, “well that and he’s got a great ass.” 

Ken sighed. 

“Yes, I think everyone here is aware of what a totally fuckable piece of tail Kudoh has,” Brad remarked dryly. “Get on with your theory of Schwarz combat, please.” 

“Besides, we know that bit already,” Aya added as he shot Brad an evil look, “about him being a battery, I mean.” 

“So he powers you. All the three of you. Together you can create a warp in time that Nagi can contain and direct,” the Irishman stated. “And if I have to tell you what good it is, or how to use it, I’m leaving to fill out a job application with Rosen the first chance I get.” 

Aya ignored the sarcasm and thought about it. He was pretty certain he could do it with Yohji’s power added to the mix and his sister’s power over time hadn’t really been tested yet except on Ken. He glanced across the aisle to where she was sitting with Zeshin. 

“What do you think? Could we do that?” 

Aya-chan thought about it for a moment, face serious as she explored the extents of her talent. Her face cleared and she smiled suddenly. “Yes,” she said. “We might need Schu’s help to co-ordinate our thinking but it’s definitely doable.” 

“So what about the rest of us?” Ken asked. “Are we just baggage or something?” 

“I wouldn’t call you that, Ken. More like insurance. The rest of us keep the opposition busy while the other’s build up the needed power to launch an attack. And from what Farfarello is proposing, I think it would be a particularly devastating one. You could hurl opponents through time, back to say, the stone age maybe, or forward into nothingness... or...” Zeshin considered it. 

“Go on,” Brad prompted. 

“You could age them into dust.” 

A gentle snore rumbled in Aya’s left ear. 

“Well our battery seems totally unconcerned,” the redhead said wryly. “As for you being baggage, Ken, no way. You’ve got a power almost as devastating as anything we can pull and you don’t need to get in too close to use it.” 

Farfarello chuckled, “You know, he and Nagi could make a totally bullet proof fireshield that we would all be safe inside of. And of course, that would free up Schuldig and Kudoh to flatten the minds of just about anyone.” 

Ken rose up in his seat to look over the back at Farfarello, “Who the hell are you, General Insanity?” 

Farfarello grinned, “Nice one, Firekitty.” 

“It’s not insane, Ken. In fact it makes perfect sense. It’s just a pity we didn’t sit down and think this through before that attack. If we had we might still have a liveable house and you and Brad would have remained unscathed,” Aya said quietly. 

He glanced over at Brad. “However, it did teach us all a valuable lesson.” 

“Yes it did,” Brad agreed. “Now, tell me what you plan to do with this knowledge.” 

“The same as I’ve always done with knowledge learned the hard way. Make damned sure I never make the same mistake again.” 

“I wasn’t referring specifically just to you, Aya. I was referring to the team as a whole,” the American replied. “It’s not enough for one of us to decide things must change and that we need to work as a team. It’s something we all have to be prepared to do. 

“During that fight I had to tell people to protect one another, that should not have been necessary.” 

“Agreed,” Aya said. 

“So what do we do?” Ken asked. 

“It might not be a bad idea for us to practice merging our skills until it becomes second nature to us,” Kai suggested quietly. 

Yohji squirmed in his seat and sighed into Aya’s ear. 

“We were supposed to be doing that in Bangkok,” Brad reminded them. “And we aren’t going to stay in Moscow.” He pushed his glasses up, then took them off and gave them a peculiar look before placing them back on his face. 

Zeshin offered Aya-chan an orange, “Do you want this or the apple?” 

She smiled. “The orange is fine Zen, thank you.” 

“So where after Moscow?” Aya asked whilst trying to remove his ear from the distraction of Yohji‘s warm breath against it. “Some of the skills merging we can do on the plane seeing as we have nothing better to do.” He nudged Yohji as he spoke. 

Yohji just frowned at him, turned the other way and closed his eyes. 

“How can we do this on the plane?” Ken asked. 

Zeshin handed Aya-chan the orange and rummaged around in his carryon looking for something he wanted to eat. 

“Well, I wouldn’t want to try any of the spectacular stuff,” Schuldig said slowly, “but we could attempt a mental link that doesn’t wear both Kudoh and myself out.” 

Aya nodded his agreement. “Sounds like a workable idea.” 

“Yohji’s got no stamina,” Ken remarked as he tried to see what Zeshin was doing. 

“Yohji is fucking tired,” the blond muttered in annoyance. 

Brad sighed and removed his glasses, put them in the case in his pocket and leaned back trying to get comfortable. 

“It’s going to be a long fucking flight,” Kai muttered to himself.


	5. Chapter 5

Mamoru glanced up from the pile of papers on his desk and sighed as the old wounds in his chest from Ken’s bugnucks started to ache again. He’d obviously been sitting for too long. He rose to his feet and turned to stare out of the window, unwelcome memories battering at him like drunken pugilists. 

A knock on his office door that he recognised as his secretary’s came as a welcome relief and he called for her to come in. 

“Takatori-san your grandfather is here to see you.” 

“Here? Show him in at once please.” 

He sat back down at his desk and waited for her to wheel his grandfather’s chair into the office. 

The old man motioned her out, “Give us half an hour,” he instructed and waited for the door to close. He regarded Mamoru, then spoke, “The Weiss are still alive but you know this don’t you?” 

“I have very…marked proof that Hidaka still lives and, as the cat-boy never returned I can only assume that Kudoh and Fujimiya killed him and escaped. What became of Bengal I don’t know.” Steely blue eyes, once so bright and emotive stared back at his grandfather thoughtfully. 

“I’m guessing that you have information regarding their whereabouts and that is why you’re here.” 

“They are alive. Every last one of them,” the old man told the boy and tossed an envelope onto the desk. 

“In fact, they have joined with Schwarz and are proving to be quite resilient.” 

“Joined with Schwarz?” That information truly astonished Mamoru. The idea of Fujimiya linking up with the freaks that had kidnapped his sister seemed almost preposterous and yet… 

“Schwarz wouldn’t aid them unless it was worth their while,” he said. “I know that Hidaka became a freak and burned down the Kritiker building, Kudoh I’m almost certain is also a freak but Fujimiya?” 

“Born that way. His sister too, from all appearances. Why do you think the Esset Elders wanted her? She has some sort of freakish talent.” 

Mamoru sat back in his chair and rested his chin on his clasped hands. “Her friend said that she never aged whilst in the coma. She told the girl that herself. We did speak to Sakura at length but even our best interrogators could get nothing more from her before she died.” 

He glanced at the envelope. “So they’ve joined Schwarz, have they? What else?” 

“Look at the contents of the envelope. I’m sure you’ll find it quite enlightening.” 

Mamoru frowned slightly as he reached for the envelope. “Why can’t you simply tell me?” 

“Because you never listen to what you’re told,” the old man snapped. “if you had Weiss would have died long before they could injure you or ruin a valuable property, that’s why!” 

“Yes, grandfather, but if you’d succeeded at the Ani Museum I would have died with them wouldn’t I? I very nearly did.” He sometimes wondered if the old man had finally gone senile. If he had then it was time for him to die…in his sleep, of course. 

“That mess was none of my doing, child. You can blame those other freaks on what occurred there. Schwarz arranged that little party, at least that is my belief from the perspective of hindsight.” 

The old man studied his grandson for a moment, his expression thoughtful. “Tell me, Mamoru, how do you plan to destroy so many of these freaks when you could never touch just the four from Schwarz?” 

His clasped hands tightened against one another until his fingers hurt but he didn’t show his fury in any other way. He still hadn’t forgotten the way that German freak had toyed with him and caused the death of his beloved Ouka. 

“What exactly are you suggesting, grandfather?” His voice was steady, still almost as sweet as it had been at the Koneko. 

“A temporary alliance between us and an organization that is as interested in the demise of those freaks as we are. Representatives will be contacting you to arrange cooperation. Once our need for these people are at an end, we will take care of whatever of these people remain which will give us undisputed control of Japan.” 

It sounded feasible enough. “So, there was another organisation that hated Essett. How curious that they’ve never shown their hand before.” He took a deep breath. “But I guess it wouldn’t hurt to talk to them at least.” 

“They call themselves Rosenkruez. They’ve been at war with Essett for some time now and are especially interested in eliminating Schwarz and their new allies.” 

“That sounds promising. I think we can certainly listen to whatever they have to say. No promises yet but I will agree to a meeting.” 

“You will agree to aid them in the downfall of your former colleagues because I have assured them of your cooperation.” 

“Indeed? I am not a child, grandfather, and I neither want nor need you to make my decisions for me. However, as you’ve already given them my assurances there is nothing more to be said on the subject.” 

But that was the final straw and he was determined that his grandfather would not live much longer. After all, the old fool hadn’t lifted a finger when he’d been kidnapped so why should he feel any duty or respect? 

“No, of course you aren’t Mamoru. But the fact that you’ve not dealt with this problem is disturbing. You permitted that Hidaka person to get close to you and he nearly killed you. Please understand, your safety and well-being are my greatest concerns.” 

It was a pity, but the younger generation just didn’t have the proper mind for business. Well, he had another grandson tucked away safely, and if worse came to worse, he could eliminate this mistake called Mamoru and try again with a boy who knew his place and wasn’t prone to making friends with the wrong people. 

Yes, thinking about it, that was probably the best way to deal with the problem. He’d let the young fool make the arrangements for the disposal of Weiss and Schwarz then, when he no longer served a purpose he could tell his last and best grandson to rid them of a liability. 

* * * * * * * 

Schwarz arrived in Moscow and Brad led them across the terminal to baggage claim. “Don’t anyone start taking Russian now, because we aren’t staying. Our next flight leaves in two hours.” 

He was smirking as he turned to Aya, “We’re going to New York.” 

There was a whole chorus of groans as they realised they had another flight of even longer duration than the last to go. Kai actually looked as if he might burst into tears. 

All Aya said was, “Why New York?” 

“Because, next to Tokyo, it has one of the highest population densities which will make it harder for Rosenkruez agents to track us.” 

Yohji noticed Kai’s reaction and put an arm around the younger man, “We’ll make him pay for this later, Kai. There are lots of expensive things to buy in New York, so I’ve heard.” 

Kai leaned into him and smiled. “Macey’s, Bloomingdales, oh yeah!” 

Schuldig chuckled at the pair of them. *I think a Rolex each at the very least.* 

Aya simply shook his head at the irony of ending up no more than three thousand miles from their starting point in Sacramento but carefully screened the thought before Farfarello remembered his damned horse and started sulking about it again. 

“Think big, Kai. Jaguar, Mercedes, Lotus, Lamborghini.” He grinned and winked at the boy. 

“Well I am owed a lost Lexus,” Kai said slowly, “and didn’t you have a rather nice Lotus?” 

Aya shook his head at both of them. “Time enough for all that when we’ve dealt with Rosenkreuz for once and for all. I do not intend to spend the rest of my life running away from them, no matter how fast the car.” 

Crawford paused midway down the terminal, that faraway stare showing his team what was going on. He blinked, rubbed his temples and just stood there lost in thought for a moment. 

“Stay sharp. We've acquired the unwanted attention of some lowlife airport officials and they apparently have Russian mob ties.” 

He glanced at them, “Don't use your talents unless there is no alternative. There are Rosen agents nearby but they are unaware of us for the moment.” 

Farfarello threw an arm around Schuldig, “Maybe we can bribe them or scare them off somehow.” He lipped some of the German's hair and tugged on a lock with his teeth. 

“Good old-fashioned killing, Farf,” Schuldig said with an evil grin, “it works every time.” 

Aya turned his head to glare at the telepath. “It also attracts a lot of unwanted attention,” he said. “Especially in crowded airport terminals. If we have to take them down we do it quietly and as privately as possible.” 

“Bathroom's a good choice. Anyone else need to go?” Yohji asked softly as he scanned the terminal for the worldwide visual symbol that would mark where the toilets were.” 

Crawford smiled at the blond, “Have I mentioned how much I love you?' he asked the former Weiss. 

“Not lately, but I'll have to take a rain check for later, since I think we should split up and draw the goons away while the rest of you get our baggage.” 

Crawford leaned in close to Abyssinian, “Don't you just want to bend him over something and fuck him blind?” he asked, his dark eyes full of amusement and no small amount of blatant desire. 

“Always,” Aya said, with a sultry glance at both Crawford and the blond. “I think I’ll join him in the bathroom, though the fun will have to wait till we’re through here. I’ll take Farf and leave you and Nagi to keep a leash on Schu.” 

Brad's gaze was on Aya's lips as the man spoke, his cock going slightly erect as he thought about the things that mouth could do. 

“Penthouse, Waldorf Astoria, New York. We'll have a bit of time there,” the American promised. 

"What about Ken, Zeshin and me?" Kai demanded. 

"Zeshin stays with Aya-chan, you and Ken can join the fun if you want." 

Ken glanced at Nagi. “I think I'll stay here if you don't mind. Someone has to help claim the luggage.” 

Zeshin nodded to Aya, “I wasn't planning on leaving her.” 

Farfarello nuzzled his lover's ear, “I'm going to go play. Too bad it's not a real leash. I'd love to lead you around dressed in nothing but a collar and a bit of chain.” 

Brad smirked, “There's a picture.” 

“There is?” Nagi asked, thinking about all the possibilities for blackmail such a picture would provide. 

“No, dumkopf,” Schuldig snarled, “Vater was speaking metaphorically!” 

“Well, damn!” 

Ken chuckled, “I'll get you a digital camera and we can try for a picture if you want.” 

Farfarello grinned, “I'll even get Schu to pose for you.” 

Aya shook his head as the mental vision of Schuldig wearing nothing but a collar and bit of chain assaulted his senses. It was tempting but they had work to do. “Okay, all those heading for the bathroom, let’s go.” 

Yohji gave the telepath, his lover and Brad a very studied, blatantly sexual smile, “You guys certainly know how to get a man's attention.” 

“So do you, Kudoh,” Brad replied as he looked the slim blond up and down. “And one of these days, we're going to have quite a bit of fun making you pay for being such a sexy bitch.” 

Laughing Yohji headed for the bathroom, “We'll see who pays and who receives that payment... babe.” 

Crawford smiled, “Yes we will... babe.” 

Aya rolled his eyes and followed Yohji, Kai and Farfarello hot on his heels. Several suspicious looking characters peeled themselves off of walls and followed them. 

“Playtime,” Kai said happily. 

Crawford watched them go, his dark eyes full of the pride that filled his heart. They were Schwarz, and they were his. Every last one of them. 

It was a conventional airport bathroom with a row of stalls down one side, a urinal at the end and a row of basins under a large mirror down the side opposite the stalls. Aya glanced around and headed towards one of the stalls, motioning the others towards the urinal and basins. Now all they had to do was wait. 

A thought occurred. *Keep it clean and quiet, Farf,* he sent to the Irishman. *We can’t go through here covered in blood.* 

The door opened and the first of the goons came through, gun in hand. 

Yohji didn't even turn his head, pretending to be a tourist with nothing to worry about while he wiped his perfectly dry hands with a paper towel. He could see the men in the mirror as they entered, but pretended to be totally unaware of what was happening. 

Farfarello had chosen a stall closer to the door, positioning himself so he was standing on the toilet seat, waiting for the goons to get well inside. 

Kai positioned himself in front of the urinal although he didn’t actually use it. It’s stainless steel giving him a mirror like view of the bathroom behind him. 

Aya took position in a further stall, ready to take on anyone stupid enough to come too close. 

Six men entered, one staying by the door to keep hapless tourists at bay. All had guns in their hands. 

Aya thought fast. No talent meant doing it the old-fashioned way which was going to be messy but necessary. When he was sure there were no more than six targets he sent just one word. *Now.* 

Yohji's wire hummed through the air, wrapping in tight coils around the first gunman. 

Farfarello burst out of the stall and took a man by surprise, his booted foot cracking across the man's jaw with a crunching sound. 

The others fanned out and one pointed a gun straight at Kai’s back. Aya flew out of his stall and took the man down with a kick to the solar plexus. Once down a hard kick in the kidneys finished the job. 

Meanwhile Kai spun sending a sai straight into the chest of a fourth gunman. The other was still spinning in his left hand, mesmerising the two remaining men. 

Yohji pulled as hard as he could on the wire, strangling the goon. 

Grinning as only Farfarello could, he grabbed one of the last two would be assailants and slammed him face first into the nearest wall. 

Aya took out the last of the men before he could escape back out of the door. One kick sent the gun spinning out of his hand, the second broke his neck. He glanced round at the others. Kai was retrieving his sai, carefully wiping it clean on the dead goon’s shirt, Yohji was retracting his wire and a very sane looking Farfarello was grinning at him. He actually grinned back. 

“This was too easy,” Yohji remarked as he wrapped a paper towel around a cut in his palm from not wearing his gloves. 

Farfarello's grin vanished and he looked down at the corpses at his feet, "They're only agents but..." he looked up at Aya, "I think he's right. They were more like sacrificial lambs than a threat and Rosen wouldn't send them just to see if we could kill them. They already know the answer to that." 

The Irishman nudged one of the bodies with his toe, then he crouched down and looked into the dead man's eyes. 

"I think they wanted us divided and that means we need to get back to the others right fucking now." 

Aya didn’t comment or argue. He simply spun on his heel and bolted through the door, heading for the baggage carousel and the rest of his team. 

Kai exchanged a look with Yohji before heading after him. What he saw at the carousel brought him to a halt staring. 

There were people, dozens of them, converging on the rest of their team. Passengers, airport workers, a couple of airport security guards. Their faces were blank, staring, their movements jerky and unnatural as the pallor of their faces. They were closing inexorably on the rest of the Schwarz team. 

Standing amid the shambling hoard was a slender woman with hair black as a raven's wing, her arms raised over her head as she screamed, "KILL THEM, KILL THEM!" 

Beside the woman was a young boy who stared at nothing, drool running from his slack lips. As they watched the room's appearance changed, the dead horrors taking on the semblance of living people for an instant before the horror movie scene returned. 

Nagi had raised a telekinetic shield around the others but it was obvious that he wouldn’t be able to hold it much longer without Yohji’s help. 

"KUDOH!" Aya’s yell echoed through the airport, but the only one that took any notice other than his own team mates was a man so pale he had to be an albino. He grinned and turned his full attention back to the war he was waging mind to mind against the German telepath. 

Yohji was already running, right on the heels of both Aya and Farfarello. He skidded to a stop when he realized what the things in the airport looked like. "This can't fucking be real..." he muttered as he shoved his hands into his gloves and threw his wire, entangling several of the things. When he pulled the zombies came apart, their rotted flesh no match for his own strength and the cutting power of the harigane. 

The stench as their corrupt flesh ruptured was so overpowering that the jade eyed man gagged, but that didn't keep him from spinning out another coil of wire and ripping a pair of the undead things to shreds. 

Battle cry ringing out, Farfarello slammed into the creatures nearest to his team, broken bodies scattering before him like leaves before a hurricane wind. 

They could hear Zeshin growling, and Ken's hands were wreathed in flame, the ex-soccer player ready to defend his team, but unwilling to throw the fire through Nagi's hard pressed shields. 

Crawford was on his knees within the protection of Nagi's shield, eyes wide with pain, a trickle of blood running from his nose as he battled to retain possession of his own mind. 

Aya went straight for the woman and child, cutting a swathe through the zombies with the knife that was always tucked in his boot. Seeing his goal, Kai started to help, his sai sinking into rotting corruption with sickening plopping sounds. 

Aya stopped just short of his targets and concentrated hard. Suddenly both of them wavered out of existence sent into a specific point in both time and space where they could do no more harm. That just left the zombies to deal with. Then Aya realised something. 

“Nagi, drop the shield and grab the cases! Hidaka, help him.” 

Kai frowned at him. “What’s wrong?” 

“Wherever this might be, it’s not a fucking airport! And we need to get out of here. NOW!” 

Aya was right. They weren't at the airport in Moscow. They were at a decrepit and crumbling military base somewhere in Siberia. 

They were also in trouble. 

Yohji grabbed Aya and hauled him toward the rest of their team, "Freeze time!" the blonde shouted at his team mate. 

Aya glanced at him in confusion. “Freeze it? What’s that going to achieve?” However he trusted Yohji’s quick wits and did as he was told. 

Everyone and everything but the red-haired man and his blond lover stopped moving. He gripped Aya's hand tightly and pulled him along, heading for the albino. "Kill him and set Brad and Schuldig free," he instructed, his voice showing the strain he was under as Aya drew energy from him. 

Aya nodded, finally understanding. He hadn’t taken much notice of the albino in his desire to rid them of the woman and the monstrous child. He stopped moving and drew Yohji to a halt beside him. He drew yet more energy from the blonde and formed it into pinpoint accuracy before sending it straight at the albino. 

The pale creature aged before their eyes, one moment he was a man in his mid-thirties the next he was old and stooped then he was a skeleton on the floor. 

The dust swirled, then rose into the air and reformed into the albino. It smiled at them, showing wickedly sharp teeth. "You can't kill the dead." 

"AYA!" Yohji screamed as the thing lunged for his lover. Yohji pulled Aya out of the way just as the thing's razor sharp talons tore across the front of Aya's coat shredding the cloth. 

“Actually you can,” Aya said, and sent another burst of power. This time he sent the albino to the same time and place that he‘d banished the woman and child to. 

“I’m going to get us out of here,” he said to Yohji. There was an apologetic look in his eyes as he added, “I’ll need more of your power.” 

Yohji put his arms around Aya, "Do it." 

Aya returned the embrace, knowing he would need to hold Yohji up when he got them where he wanted them. There was also the state that the others were in to consider. Luckily Brad had shared the details of the booking in the New York Hotel with him. Now he just had to get the timing right. 

The air about them shimmered and wavered and then they were in the large lounge of an expensive New York penthouse. 

Yohji staggered against his lover, almost taking both of them to the plush carpeting that covered the floor. 

Zeshin released Aya-chan and just barely caught Schuldig as the German wilted. He didn't know where they were, or how they'd gotten where they were, but he could tell both the telepath and the precog were in bad shape. 

"Someone help Brad," the leopard boy said as he started to pick Schuldig up only to have him taken out of his hold by a wild-eyed Farfarello. 

*Schuldig? Can you hear me?* the Irishman asked silently. 

The flame on Ken's hands flickered out as he realized they were no longer in danger. He stepped closer to Nagi and slipped his arms around his lover, "You okay?" he asked but his gaze was on Aya and Yohji. 

None of them needed an explanation of what happened. They all knew. 

Aya held Yohji up, barely. “Ken, help me get him on the couch please.” He waited only while Ken left an exhausted Nagi and came to help him. Once Yohji was on the couch he staggered to where Brad still knelt on the floor. 

Schuldig was still fighting the darkness left in his mind by the undead albino. There was nothing he could get hold of, nothing he could anchor himself to. Then the comforting buzz of insanity that always lurked in the back of Farfarello’s mind was in his head and he heard his lover’s voice. *Farf?* 

*Schuldig, come back to me. I'm here. Don't slip away. I need you, Schu.* The Berserker glanced at Aya as he knelt beside Brad. The American looked bad, pale, blood oozing from his nose, eyes staring into nothing. Like Schuldig. 

*Bitte,* he said in silent German. *You are stronger than this, come back to me.* 

"Kai, go find some candy or something for Yohji," Ken said. "Try the hotel lobby or call room service." 

“On my way,” Kai said without argument. A quick glance round the room was enough to convince him that room service was not a great idea right now so he left for the lobby, shutting the door quietly behind him. 

A hand clutched at Farfarello’s clothing and Schuldig’s eyelids flickered although they didn’t open. *So empty, so vast and dark. I’m lost, Farf. Where are you?* 

Farfarello pulled his lover into his arms and kissed him fiercely, *Right here, Schuldig.* He closed his eyes and struggled to reach out, to help the red-haired man find his way back from the brink of madness. 

He grinned as the answer came to him and instead of fighting to free Schuldig from the lightless void, he walked into it himself. 

*I'm here, Schuldig.* 

And suddenly there was a glimmer of light in Schuldig’s darkness as the Angel of Death stood waiting for him. He smiled. *Take me with you, Farf,* his mind whispered, *I can’t do this alone.* 

The Angel of Death smiled and took Schuldig's hand to lead him out of the darkness. 

Meanwhile Aya reached out a hesitant hand, wondering how to call Brad back from the living nightmare he’d been subjected to. 

Brad stared into the void, his visions gone, lost in a darkness so complete he could feel it on his skin, touching him. 

He knew there was another world. One of light and sound. A world that contained his lovers and his team. But no matter which way he turned there was only the unending Stygian gloom. 

Aya’s hand descended on Brad’s arm as he thought things through. Time was the gift they shared in different ways but would that help them now? Brad’s manipulation was through his visions, through glimpses of possible futures, his own was physical. Then it hit him and he ripped Brad’s shirt open and touched the bare skin of his chest with his hand. He just hoped he was right. 

Brad gave a gasp that was closer to a sob as the non-time where he was trapped imploded into a scintillating red cloud that turned into Aya's hair. 

The American blinked, still dazed, the pain in his skull making him feel ill. He took Aya's hand in his and kissed the palm gently. "I owe you," he murmured. 

“No doubt you’ll pay me back sooner or later,” Aya said quietly, smiling down at his lover. “We all made it although you and Schu were in a bad way.” 

He glanced across the room and was pleased to see Schuldig struggle into a sitting position, clinging to Farfarello as if afraid he might disappear at any second. 

Kai returned with some Hershey bars and passed them round, crossing to the couch and making sure Yohji ate at least some of the chocolate. 

Nagi was leaning against Ken as he slowly recovered his strength and Aya-chan and Zeshin were murmuring soothing words to each other in the far corner. Aya took a deep breath. They’d been lucky: this time. 

“Lesson two,” he muttered, “avoid the pitfalls of arrogance.” 

"I should have seen it. I should have known," Brad remarked as he wiped at the blood on his face. 

"But you didn't," Yohji returned softly. "And I think I know why." 

“Oh?” Aya queried. He remembered that Yohji had been the one who knew what he had to do back at the so-called airport. “Why?” 

"I didn't realize it until now," Yohji began, "but every time Brad fails to see something it's when you and I are both standing near him. I think your chronokinetic power is stronger than Brad's precognitive ability, but it doesn't seem to matter unless I'm close to both of you." 

Farfarello broke a piece of chocolate off the bar in his hand and fed it to Schuldig. "You've taught yourselves to control your talents, but Aya has never been taught how to tune Yohji's power out so he subconsciously taps into it. That would explain a few things I've been wondering about." 

"Yeah it would," Ken agreed. 

“So you’re saying I need to tune Yohji out except when I need him to boost my power. Am I right? And do I only need to do this when we’re both near Brad?” 

He turned to stare at Farfarello. “And what exactly have you been wondering about?” 

"That's exactly what I mean," Farfarello answered. "Brad's visions have never failed us until the two of you joined Schwarz. I'd been wondering if your power would disrupt Brad's ability to see. It does. It also seems to affect Schuldig or he would have noticed that we were surrounded by dead people, not living minds." 

Aya backed away from all of them as if his very presence would contaminate them. As usual it was all his fault. “Then I’m more of a liability than an asset,” he said. 

Schuldig shook his head. “Don’t blame yourself for my mistake, Aya. The necromancer was making me hear living minds.” 

Crawford looked up at that, "She couldn't do that. I don't think he could have either, but the boy..." he shook his head. "I think it was the boy. I've never seen him until today, but the other two, Vampyr and die Toten I've heard of but never met." 

“Tot,” Nagi breathed. 

Schuldig glanced up at him. “It doesn’t mean child, Nagi. Tot is German for death. So…Die Toten… the death or the killer if you prefer.” 

Aya was still as far away from the others as it was possible for him to get and stay in the room. “That doesn’t help if I’m affecting Brad’s visions.” 

"It's the two of us in combination," Yohji said as he leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes. He was so tired he felt numb, and a glance at Brad told him the older man was suffering from the after effects of their near deadly encounter with the Rosen freaks. 

"I think both Brad and Yohji need bed, Schuldig too," Ken stated. "And we really need to officially check in before anyone gets suspicious." 

"He's right," Zeshin commented from where he was standing, looking out the balcony at the skyline of New York City. "Kai and I could go and check in." 

"Not Kai. He needs to take care of Brad," Farfarello stated. 

Brad cast an annoyed stare in the Berserker's direction. 

"Tell me I'm wrong," the Irishman dared. 

The Schwarz leader got to his feet, swayed and dropped back into the chair admitting defeat without vocalizing the surrender. 

“I’ll go with Zeshin to check us in,” Aya said. His voice was bitter as he added, “seeing as I’m so unscathed. Let us have your passports.” 

He went nowhere near Brad, indicating to Zeshin that he should collect the pre-cog’s passport and whichever of his credit cards he wanted to use. 

Kai was kneeling by Brad’s chair, running his hands over the American without touching him. He winced as he covered the area round Brad’s head. 

Brad got out his wallet and tossed the whole thing to the leopard boy, telling Aya, "Use the Amex for the hotel, get some food sent up off one of the other ones. They don't need to see our passports. I've got a New York driver's license in the wallet for identification. If they want to talk to me, have them call my cell." 

Farfarello got to his feet and picked Schuldig up, "We're going to take a shower." 

"Be careful," Yohji told his lover as he got more comfortable on the couch, head dropping back to rest on the soft upholstery. 

Aya almost bolted from the room. Farfarello had given him a lot to think about. Fate was a bitch to him. It seemed that every time he dared to be happy something came out of the blue to slap him back down and remove that happiness. 

It now looked as if he would have to keep away from Brad and the thought upset him more than he cared to admit. 

Zeshin followed Aya, the look on the older man's face telling him that his former team leader was anything but pleased by the recent developments within Schwarz. 

"Don't blame yourself," he murmured as they reached the elevator. "You aren't as fully trained with your talent as they are, and neither are Yohji or Ken. The rest of Schwarz has had years to learn to work together, and learned from teachers who permitted no mistakes." 

“And if I’m too close to Yohji to tune him out?” Aya asked, surprising himself by sharing his fears with the younger man. “What if my blinding him gets Brad killed?” He entered the elevator and leaned against the far wall, arms crossed across his chest in a gesture reminiscent of hugging himself. 

"Aya, I'd be more worried about all of us being killed if Brad can't see something than just him dying. 

He went quiet as the elevator began it's drop to the lobby, finally adding, "Have you ever tried to consciously notice Yohji's power seeping into you when you're standing next to him? From the way they were talking it's a subconscious thing you aren't even aware of. I don't think anyone is blaming you or Yohji for this, either. You were right, we're too arrogant in some ways. And we're also relying too heavily on Brad and Schuldig. I think it's time we stop doing that and learn to actually work as a united team, instead of a leader and a bunch of followers." 

Aya glanced up, his full attention now on Zeshin. “You always were a deep thinker,” he said, “rather like your genetic father. As for your questions, it never crossed my mind that there was seepage from Yohji to me anymore than I realised that my very presence could blind Brad. As for the team dynamic, it worked this way because Brad was the one who saw the way forward and Schuldig cleared it as we went. There is a blending of all our talents, why else can I talk mentally to people and even pick up on Yohji’s empathy.” 

He sighed. “We have to learn to either link our powers so we work as one greater whole or we need to start running now and never stop. I’ve never been very good at running.” 

His eyes widened. “What did you say? About Brad seeing his own death all the time? There has to be a reason for that.” 

"Okay, what if time gets distorted when he's near you?" Zeshin mused. "It's not that he can't see what's going to happen, or loses the ability to use his power, but that it gets so muddled up that he can only perceive twisted results, and only those that involve him?" 

Zeshin held up one finger, "One, he has been wrong about his own death every time." He raised a second finger, "Two, a lot of things he's seen haven't happened. Three, things he hasn't predicted have occurred. Four, he has totally failed to see the most dangerous situations, like the airport mess. He should have picked up on the fact the plane wasn't going where it should have gone and he didn't." He sighed, "Not only that, but Schuldig didn't notice anything either, so whatever is going on here affects him too." 

“And they along with Farfarello are the ones that were trained by Rosenkreuz. The ones whose genetic materials were used in experiments…” He broke off, eyes staring into the far distance. 

“Zeshin, check us in and order the food. I need to go back upstairs. Brad and Schuldig are under attack.” 

Zeshin's eyes mirrored Aya's own shock as he too came to the same conclusion that the older man must have just reached. "If I'm Farfarello's son, maybe Schuldig and Brad have progeny they are unaware exist. And that would explain a hell of a lot about what is going on," he stated matter-of-factly, as he accepted Brad's wallet from Aya. 

The elevator stopped, "I'll take care of everything down here. Don't worry about me. You go up and tell them what is going on." 

Aya only waited for Zeshin to clear the elevator doors before punching the button to their floor again. It actually made more sense than Yohji and he being responsible for Brad and Schuldig missing things. His shields clicked into place almost audibly. And that was strange in itself. Normally they were raised as a matter of course. 

When the elevator reached their floor he flew out of it and into the main room of the penthouse. Nobody had gone to bed just yet for which he was thankful. He didn’t want to say this more than once. “I think we’re under attack,” he said, “Brad and Schu especially.” 

Yohji opened his eyes at the sharpness of Aya's voice. There was anger and self-disgust in that tone, he'd heard both enough to notice how upset the red-haired man was. 

Ken frowned. "Under attack?" He looked from Aya to Brad, his dark eyes full of puzzlement. "Wouldn't their shields protect them from that?" 

Farfarello stopped brushing Schuldig's damp hair, his expression thoughtful. "An attack? What kind of attack?" 

“Just supposing that their DNA or other genetic material was used like yours was, to make progeny that could use their talents,” Aya said. “They would have been brought up to be totally Rosen and, if they know about their genetic ‘fathers’ at all, have been taught to hate them or regard them as flawed in some way. 

“If their power is as strong, they could attack us mentally. And here’s something else. I raised my shields after Zeshin and I thought this through which means that, due to the familiarity of your talents, I haven’t had them raised.” He glanced round the room. 

“Anyone else with their shields down?” 

"Mother fucking bastards," Brad swore, the profanity telling the rest of his team his answer to that question. 

Farfarello just stared at Crawford because the man rarely cursed and the fact that he was using that type of profanity told him just how angry and unnerved their leader was. 

Crawford reeled to his feet, rage overcoming the pain and debility he'd suffered in Russia faster than anything else could. He started to stalk back and forth across the room, face dark with fury. "I should have known. I should have seen that." Then he laughed, the sound harsh as two blades crashing, "But how could I? They've bred him to be better than I am. Damn them!" 

Ken shot a sideways glance at Nagi, but kept wisely silent. He knew better than to bother Brad when he was in that sort of mood, unlike most of the former Weiss. 

"Could they really do that?" Yohji asked. 

Brad spun to face the blond, "Oh, yes! Damn them all! They made Zeshin, remember? If they can fuse genetic material from Farfarello to that of a leopard, tampering with my genetics to make a 'superior' precognitive, or using Schuldig to create the perfect telepath would be simple by comparison." 

“And with Yohji dulling down the voices so well, I haven’t been so conscientious about my shields since we got back from Sacramento,” Schuldig admitted. 

“Can we get round it somehow?” Aya asked. 

Nagi was thoughtful. When he spoke up his voice was tentative. “They’ve never been able to take anything from me, so I don’t know if they actually realise just what I’m capable of. Ken, Yohji, Aya, Kai, Aya-chan and Zeshin are even more free of their taint. We need to structure both attacks and defence that rely more on us and less on Brad and Schu.” 

“But that means we’re blind, kid,” Schuldig said. 

“Are we?” Aya asked. “Brad can’t see me. Doesn’t it then follow that his ‘child’ can’t either?” 

"Possibly," Brad remarked as he came to a halt amid his team. "But we don't dare make assumptions. He may be strong enough that he can see you." 

His eyeglasses glinted as he raised his head to look at Yohji, "How do you feel, Kudoh?" 

"Why?" Yohji asked suspiciously. 

"Because I have an idea." 

"I was afraid of that," the blond replied, with a long suffering sigh. "What's the idea?' 

"I think it's time to see if we can see them." 

Farfarello chuckled. "Turnabout being fair play?" 

Crawford smirked, "If I had any plans to be fair." 

“So, how do you want to go about this, Vater?” Schuldig asked ready for some payback of his own. 

“Is there anything that Ran or I can do to help?” Aya-chan asked. To anyone who knew her well it was obvious she was as angry as the rest of them. 

"Give me a moment to work this out and I'll explain what everyone has to do," Crawford replied as he sat down on the couch beside Yohji. He sat back and then leaned against the blond who obligingly wrapped an arm around the American's shoulders. 

"Awww," Farfarello said, unable to stop himself. "Don't they look cute?" 

Brad raised an eyebrow and turned his dark gaze on Farfarello, Yohji chuckled and leaned in closer to Brad, shuddering slightly as the older man kissed him and drew energy at the same time. 

Crawford broke the kiss and motioned Schuldig over. "Abyssinian, if you and your sister would join us please, I think I've got the answer." 

Both Fujimiya siblings and Schuldig approached the couch. “Where do you want us?” Aya asked. 

Brad patted his lap, “I want you here, Aya-chan next to me, and Schuldig beside Yohji over there,” he motioned to the other side of the couch. “Yohji's going to be boosting you and I, Schuldig. Aya will be in the loop to move us forward or backward in time in case of attack.” He looked at the red-haired former Weiss, “Do you think you can manage that?” 

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Aya said after some thought. He kept his shields raised so that Brad could ‘see’ and held his sister’s hand, knowing their talents were enough alike that he could use her rather than Yohji for energy. “Ready when you are.” 

“Shhh....” the American murmured into his ear and raised his hand to run his fingers through the blond's hair. They'd been taking so much energy from the blond and it worried Crawford that they might take too much one of these days. He wasn't sure what would happen, he just wanted to make sure it didn't happen because the results could be dangerous, perhaps fatal. 

Aya sat quietly until he felt a ‘shift’ and the sensation of flying. Then he was staring into a room that held a group of eight people. He corrected himself, three or four were adult or nearly so the rest were children: children that looked strangely familiar. A mental gasp from Schuldig made him realise who and what those ‘children’ must be and he realised he was staring at the constructs. 

A boy that bore a striking resemblance to Crawford frowned. “We have company. How very interesting,” he remarked. “Alec, do you sense them?” 

Crawford's face twisted into an intense frown. This was his son. A son raised by Rosenkreuz. 

“Yes, Erik. What should I do?” 

The smile that touched the dark haired boy's lips was as cold as a glacial wind. “Say hello, of course.” 

*BOOST OUR SHIELDS!* the Schwarz leader mentally ordered to the German. 

The boy's bright blue eyes flashed and a mind slammed into Schuldig's shields with the force of a wrecking ball. 

Aya-chan squeezed Aya’s hand as the shock went through them all. He moved them exactly five seconds forward immediately after Schuldig got over his shock and threw his own attack. Not at his son but at the bespectacled girl next to the one called Erik. 

Lizette was in her brother's embrace, the boy's gaze full of hate as reality solidified after the time shift. 

A whimper came from Yohji as Brad struggled to read the boy's next action but Brad was too rattled by the time shift to be able to see. 

They'd barely gotten their focus back when another mental attack slammed into them. *You'll all die for this!* Erik threatened, his mental tone full of certainty. 

Ken saw what was happening and he glanced at Farfarello and Nagi. “Any suggestions?” 

Farfarello grinned and reached out to Aya, “Send me there,” he whispered into the red-head's ear. “I'll take care of the brats.” 

Brad shoved the Irishman backward, “NO!” 

Nagi raised a shield around Farfarello, effectively holding him in place and preventing him from touching anyone on the couch. “This is a mental battle, Ken, so there’s nothing we can do to help right now.” His eyes showed his own frustration at that stark fact. 

Schuldig got over the fact that he was staring at a younger version of himself and this time he attacked the red-haired boy. 

Alec crumpled to his knees under Mastermind’s attack, but he quickly started to gather himself for another onslaught when he realized that he hadn’t actually been hurt, despite the vaunted power of his gene-father’s mind. 

A fierce snarl twisted Erik’s lips as he focused his own power, *Hurt this one,* he instructed Alec mentally, giving him an image of Yohji. 

Lizette simply clung to Erik while a small boy who looked a great deal like a miniature version of Farfarello stood there petting the girl on the shoulder. 

*Shield Yohji* Schuldig sent having heard the command. Aya’s shields clanged around his lover and he felt an almost physical shield added as Nagi lent them his strength to use. He hoped it would be enough. 

Schuldig gathered his strength again and this time he smiled as he spotted the green-haired telepath. *Berger! How nice to see you again!* This time he showed no mercy and watched with some satisfaction as Berger slumped to the ground clutching at his head. 

Screaming in frustration, Alec quickly diverted his attack and struck at the Schwarz telepath, throwing every bit of his power into the strike. 

Schuldig groaned in pain but Yohji was feeding his shields so it did no more than hurt…a lot. 

Aya concentrated hard and sent a private little word to his sister. Nagi saw the girl’s eyes widen before she smiled. 

In the room in Germany, Erik was getting even younger… 

"NO!" Brad shouted and shoved Aya out of his lap. 

But it was too late. 

Erik gave a predatory smirk and his sister giggled as the power that Aya was throwing at him rebounded to strike at the former Weiss. 

Aya-chan broke off immediately but was horrified to see her brother lose his shoulder length hair and revert back to eartails. What had she done? 

Luckily, that was as far as the change went and in the faraway room the dark-haired boy also looked younger and rather pissed off about it. 

Yohji slumped against Brad, his body shaking from the strain he'd been under during the brief battle. He was tired. So very tired. 

"Well that didn't quite work out as I'd hoped," Brad remarked as he glanced at Aya. 

Zeshin looked at Aya-chan. "You okay?" he asked her. 

Ken got up and put an arm around his lover. "I don't know what just happened, but it doesn't look good. 

Aya spotted the chin-length eartails and put a hand to his head. All the growing out of the past year was gone leaving him with the style he’d had for so many years. He glanced sideways at Ken and then at Brad. “You don’t like my eartails?” 

He climbed off the couch and knelt beside Yohji and Schuldig who still didn’t look too good. “You both need to rest.” 

"I don't think it was your eartails they object to, Aya, I think it's the fact that you seem to have been affected by the attack you just tossed at my damned son," Crawford remarked as he searched for something with a lot of sugar he could shove into Yohji's mouth. 

Farfarello offered a candy bar to the American as a sob of utter exhaustion slipped from the blond's parted lips. He climbed onto the coffee table and put a hand on Schuldig, "Does your head hurt?" he asked, keeping his voice low. 

Brad glanced at the rest of his team, "Not terribly productive, but educational. I believe that Schuldig's pup can either reflect or mimic powers held by other talents." 

Schuldig nodded an answer to Farfarello’s question before turning his attention to what was being said. His headache could wait. “Berger, Geisl and that half-witted telekinetic Layla,” he said, “plus whatever powers the kids hold.” 

“I think we’ve found our ‘superior’ pre-cog too,” Aya added. “Another like Zen and a miniature version of Farf. Not sure what the girl in the glasses does apart from giggle inanely.” 

Brad handed Aya the candy bar knowing he'd have better luck with Kudoh. "He is better than I am. Genetically at least. His talent is stronger, I'm sure of that also. What he doesn't have is actual experience, so he'll make mistakes. Like today. He came out to play when he should have stayed anonymous. Now we know them, and some of what they are capable of so that makes it easier for us to create a strategy to fight them." 

A thoughtful expression on his face, the American reached out and clasped Aya-chan's hand gently in his own before leaning back on the couch. 

Ken looked at Nagi and raised an eyebrow, wondering what Brad was doing. Mystified, Aya-chan left her hand in Brad’s, trusting him to do whatever needed to be done. Her brother, meanwhile, lifted Yohji’s head and placed the candy bar to his lips. “Eat it, Yohji,” he whispered. 

Nagi reached out a hand to take one of Ken’s but shook his head in answer to the unspoken question. He had no idea what Brad intended to do this time. 

Yohji took a small bite of the candy and then shook his head and tried to spit it out, nausea making him want to throw up. "I just want to sleep," he muttered. 

Brad was sitting quietly now, eyes half closed, letting images spin slowly though his mind. "She's my daughter," he stated softly, his much larger hand wrapped around Aya-chan's slender fingers. "She's the carrot they use to control him since a stick didn't work," he murmured softly. 

He was tapping just enough of Aya-chan's talent to be able to 'see' back into the past, but it was quickly taking a toll, his head starting to ache fiercely. 

A trickle of blood slid from his nose and he let go of Aya-chan's hand. "She's the key. Get her, or kill her, and Erik will unravel and so will his team." He frowned and wiped the blood away from his nose. 

“That’s quite a tall order. If Schuldig’s progeny can use our talents against us it’s not going to be pretty.” Aya gave up on the candy bar and let Yohji fall asleep. He could eat later. 

“Layla is scary enough on her own,” Nagi said, “she’s almost as strong as I am and one twisted bitch on top of that.” 

“Geisl is no pushover either,” Schuldig added, “and Berger is almost as good as I am and that’s without the kids.” 

"Yes, that is a long list of problems, isn't it?" Brad smiled, for all the world looking like a cat that had finally had his fill of canary. "But we have an edge they lack." 

“We do?” Kai seemed sceptical to put it mildly. The thought of someone able to turn their remarkable talents back on them was seriously creeping him out. He took a glance at Aya and realised that he was a few months younger than he’d been when they’d first met. He shuddered. 

"Yes, we do." Brad was looking at Aya when he said, "A very sharp one." 

"I know why I keep seeing nothing but darkness when I look forward now. We aren't dead, we've left this place in time and gone forward." He placed a gentle hand on Aya, "Erik can see the future, but he can't see the past. If we go backward, then come forward to where they are, he won't have time to react because he can't see us coming." 

Farfarello grinned. 

Aya thought long and hard before finally smiling. “That’s easily doable,” he said. Then he sobered. “Is it because we aren’t here now that you’re having these visions and dreams or is it what he’s feeding you?” 

"Honestly, I think that little slip through time that took us to Sacramento was a catalyst that has begun to alter my precognitive abilities." He caressed his lover's face, "In a way it's your fault, and of course Kudoh's. You see, I was using my precognitive talent to track where our enemies in that reality were at the instant we left that time. When we moved through time and space I became very disoriented, not really surprising since I was still more attuned to a time and place I wasn't part of anymore. I'm sure you recall how hard it was for a few of us, Kudoh included. It wasn't just the power drain on him though, it was the effect of your power and my power interacting also." Brad glanced at the blond, "We're very lucky we didn't kill him." 

"Anyway, I've just realized something that I think will help me refocus. Every time we change time, forward or backward, my ability is still attuned to the prior time reference. Are you following this?" he asked the others. 

Ken gave Brad a rueful smile, "Sure, and I'll just go build us a rocket later." 

Farfarello sighed, "Poor Kenken, all beauty and no brains." 

Zeshin sat down on the floor and sighed, "Trying to follow what he just said is like trying to unravel the Gordian Knot with a toothpick." 

"That I could do," Ken remarked. 

"Using your bugnucks doesn't count," Yohji murmured softly, showing everyone that, regardless how tired he was, and the fact his eyes were closed, he was actually listening. 

Aya-chan moved off the couch and went to sit down next to Zeshin. She took one of his hands in hers and smiled. “Although I don’t share Ran’s talent it’s enough like mine to understand what you’re saying. You need to shut down your talent when we travel though time until you adjust to the new time zone.” 

“And yours is the only talent affected because it deals with time, the same as ours,” Aya added. He stroked a hand through Yohji’s hair at the same time placing the other on Brad’s thigh. “And it was nothing to do with the merging of our talents or being close to Yohji and I at the same time?” 

Schuldig, having got over the headache that Alec had given him looked up at that. “I never believed that was the problem,” he said. “If any of us know about seepage it’s me and, although we weren’t being careful enough with our shields, the merging of powers and the inevitable seepage does nothing more than strengthen the original talent. You’re travelling through time like a pro and have picked up some of Nagi’s ability. How else do you think you were able to transfer physical items as well as people?” 

Brad offered Schuldig another one of his more frequent smiles. "Good. So now that we're all thinking outside the proverbial box," he looked at Nagi, "think about what you can do and tell me what is different." 

Nagi shrugged. “There’s the obvious difference of being able to fashion Ken’s fire into a shield…” His eyes widened. “And Aya-chan must have used some of Kai’s power as well as her own when she…” He glanced at his lover. “…er…helped Ken.” 

Brad's smile widened into a grin, and he leaned forward to press a fast kiss to Aya's sweet mouth. "Yes my beauties and beasts, our powers are mutable, and they are changing." He laughed, the sound so at odds with the grim face he'd presented to them just before their encounter with the younger Schwarz imitation. 

Something was still bothering Aya, however. “That’s all very well but whatever we pick up from each other, that kid can throw straight back at us.” 

Brad shook his head, "He can only use one borrowed power at a time." 

Yohji pressed his head into Aya's caresses and sighed, "Divide and conquer," he murmured. "Find them when they aren't all together and they'll be easier to handle. Like we did back in Sacramento." 

"He's got a good point," Ken remarked. 

Farfarello smirked, "Yeah, but he's got a great ass." 

One jade green eye opened to regard Farfarello, "You don't ever forget anything do you?" 

"Nope, partner, I don't," the Irishman replied. "I'm waiting for another chance to fuck you, and I'm still waiting for my horse." 

There was a combined groan from most present at the mention of Farfarello’s horse. Aya didn’t groan though. He merely nodded at Farfarello to let him know that he hadn’t forgotten his promise. When all this was over and they could settle somewhere, always supposing they survived, a horse was one of the easier needs to fulfil. 

“Do you suppose they’re ever apart?” Kai asked, still thinking about Yohji’s first remark. “I mean Everette’s gang weren’t a team of assassin talents. Unlike us they did split up in to smaller groups.” 

“So do we, kiddo,” Schuldig told him, “or hadn’t you noticed when one or other of us goes off to get groceries or deal with the laundry? They won’t be together twenty-four, seven I promise you. Especially as they probably hate the sight of each other, like most Rosen teams.” 

"Schuldig is right, and I don't have to use my talent to know that Alec hates Erik, I could see it in the way he responded to his brother's orders," Brad stated. 

"In fact, I've seen that very look turned on me before but I have to admit it's been, oh at least several weeks since I've experienced it." 

Aya gave him the benefit of one of his coldest glares before relenting and shaking his head. He had to get used to the fact that he actually cared about every one of the people in this room. 

Brad smirked at Aya, "You automatically thought I was referring to you, when in fact, I was speaking of Schuldig." 

“The brother and sister seemed close and the two that look like Farfarello didn’t react enough to get any sort of reading of them,” Aya-chan said. 

“They didn’t need to,” Schuldig told her, “apart from his sister, everyone in that room hates Erik. He’s trying to be their leader but the only role-model he’s ever had for the job is Rosen and therefore he’ll lead by fear and humiliation.” Something seemed to amuse him as he chuckled suddenly. 

"Rather the way I led at first, isn't it?" Brad asked Schuldig. 

“Ack, you didn’t know any better either,” the telempath said with a smirk, “and you soon learned. I don’t think young Erik will have the time.”


	6. Chapter 6

Alec lay on the floor in a ball, his eyes tightly shut against the pain in his head. He couldn't look at Erik. Erik who, until a few moments ago had been older and now looked closer to the same age as Alec. 

But at least he'd managed to borrow the former Weiss' power long enough to stop what was happening. Maybe Erik wouldn't be mad at him for not killing any of their father's team. 

And maybe pigs could fly. 

The small white haired boy had scrambled out of the way and now crouched off in a corner, well out of Erik's reach. The older silver haired boy was perched on a window ledge, staring outside, ignoring the goings on in the room in favour of watching some lesser talents being trained how to fight out in the courtyard of the schloss. 

Without saying a word to any of his team mates, Erik got out of his chair and left the room. 

Like Alec, Berger was dealing with the mother and father of all headaches. Still at least now they knew exactly what they were facing and it wasn’t a comforting thought. Mastermind had grown in both power and confidence whilst Crawford always had been a hard man to deal with. Rumour said the fourth member of Schwarz was a powerful telekinetic and the red-haired stranger had borrowed it to good effect. 

He frowned. How could that be? Nobody shared power willingly. 

He glanced up as the boy left the room a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. The little lord’s arrogance was going to get them all killed unless he curbed it and quickly. Strong he might be, qualified to lead them he wasn’t. 

* * * * * * * 

Eric stalked down hallway after hallway, down flights of stairs until he reached his own room. He was shaking, angry, frustrated and scared all at once. 

How could they have done this? How could they have stolen years from my age? Damn them! And damn that bastard who’s the leader of Schwarz. 

Tears blurred his vision as he threw himself down on his bed. He wiped them away, angry with himself, and furious that his father had managed-- somehow-- to best him. 

I hate him! I hate him! I want him to die! 

* * * * * * * 

Alec sighed. He knew he’d have hell to pay when Erik regained his composure and came back. The idea of what kind of new punishment his brother would concoct brought bile to the back of his throat. 

I tried. I really tried. But that won’t matter to Erik. All he’ll care about is the fact that I failed. He swallowed the bitter taste of another wave of bile that rose in his throat and sat there staring at the wall, eyes a window to the fear that filled him. 

He started to tremble, his mind inventing all kinds of terrible retribution. Of them all the two things he dreaded most were being locked into the sensory deprivation chamber and being handed over to some of the older RK agents who liked their sexual partners young and scared. 

* * * * * * * 

The woman didn’t bother to knock on the door. Instead she flung it open and dispassionately surveyed the boy who was supposedly her son. He must have got most of his genetic make-up from his bastard father. 

“This is not the time to have a tantrum, Erik. It shows weakness to your team. Weakness that they might try to exploit. Now you need to make an example of one of them, even though you should have stayed anonymous instead of rising to Crawford’s bait.” 

She studied her nails. “Alec got you into this mess, don’t you think he should pay for his crime?” 

Erik wiped the tears from his eyes and stared at her. “Alec is useless. He always has been.” He glanced at his hands. They were smaller, he was smaller, his clothing no longer fitting properly. “Look what they did to me mother. And...” he raised his eyes to her, “I didn’t see this happening. How can that be?” 

She shrugged. “While you’ve been playing little emperor and considering yourself invincible, they’ve been honing their skills and looking for ways to bring you down. Quite well I might add. 

“As for what they’ve done, you’ll grow again. And don’t underestimate Alec. He stopped it going any further at least.” 

“He still needs to be punished. He didn’t hurt them at all,” Erik replied. Then he started to think. If the one with his father could make someone get younger or-- perhaps-- older he might be of use to them. 

“We have to capture that red-haired man and--“ his voice trailed off as a face rose up in his mind. It was a girl-- Japanese, older than he was and certainly not as cute as his own sister. 

“Aya-chan. She’s the real key to their power.” He smiled at his mother. “If we can get her, we can bring them down.” 

He received a chilling smile in return. “Good, now you’re starting to think again. Much better than simply reacting. You’re right, of course, the girl is the key. And we need the biokinetic alive too. The redhead might be useful but he’s not as imperative so it doesn’t matter too much if he dies with the rest.” 

“Now stop sulking and go back to your team.” 

Erik nodded and got off his bed, frowning at the way his suit fit so poorly now that he was a child again. “I’m going to need new clothes mother. This is totally unacceptable.” 

“Luckily I still have some of your clothes from when you really were that age. Come with me and let’s get you presentable.” 

She led the way through the schloss to her own quarters. Once there she opened a closet that held all the clothes that Eric had grown out of over the years. “There should be something in there that fits.” 

He searched through the closet and found the suit that had been his favourite at that age and took it down. He quickly found the shoes that matched and started to change. 

“Isn’t there someone that can fix what they’ve done to me, Mother? I was so close to being old enough for...” he smirked, “delivering more adult punishments.” 

She shot him a look. “You want to do that to Alec? I have to tell you it’s grossly overrated.” Her eyes brightened with some emotion that was hard to define. “Much better to watch.” 

“I’d like the chance to decide that for myself, Mother,” he replied as he tossed aside his shirt. “No one in the organization respects me as they should because they see me as nothing but a child. It will be even worse now, especially where Geisl and Berger are concerned.” 

“Berger was there, under attack himself and saw what happened to you. He knows you’re not just a child. Now stop acting like one and pull yourself together.” 

Erik went silent. Nothing he ever said made any difference to his bitch mother anyway, so he didn’t know why he bothered to try to make her see things. 

Of course there would be time enough to deal with her too. 

Just like he’d deal with his bastard father. 

“That’s better. Now let’s get back to the rest and try to retrieve the situation.” She opened the door and waited for him to go past her before closing it behind them. 

The boy was too arrogant in his powers, but it didn’t matter. If he failed she had more genetically enhanced children she could choose from. 

Erik finished getting dressed and followed her out. 

She led the way back to where his team waited for him wondering as they went if they had it wrong and Crawford’s way was better. Giving herself a mental kick she realised that of course it wasn’t and that his way would get his team killed - well the unnecessary ones at least. 

Lizette hurried to her brother, throwing her arms around him. “I was worried about you!” she said and gave him a kiss on the cheek. 

Erik gave her an annoyed stare and she quickly backed off. 

“Sorry.” 

He waved her apology away and sat down in his chair before looking up at his brother. 

Alec visibly cringed. 

Berger’s cold violet eyes watched with interest. He could easily be the one singled out for punishment as he had not done very well at all against Mastermind and that fact rankled as he’d always considered himself to be the better telepath. Somehow, though, he had the feeling that Erik was going to pick on his brother. 

“You’ve failed me yet again, although, I’ve decided to be lenient as you did your best to protect me,” he stated coolly. 

Alec shuddered and gave a quiet sob as he pressed his cheek to his brother’s thigh like a pet seeking his master’s approval. A hand started to slowly caress his hair and he trembled in relief. 

Erik’s’ eyes raised to regard Berger with the same stone-eyed and cold expression. “You on the other hand proved to be only slightly better than useless.” 

Berger bowed his head, acknowledging the simple truth of that statement. Something was feeding Mastermind’s power but if the kid didn’t want to know that and was hell bent on making an example of him, then it was his funeral. 

Erik’s smile was cold. “Oh, don’t mistake me, Berger. I’ve no plans to kill you. Unfortunately I need your dubious services too much to waste your supposed skill as a telepath.” 

He snapped his fingers and gestured the man over making it obvious that he wanted the man to come closer. 

Berger approached the little lord, careful to keep the sneer off his face and his expression contrite. 

“That is your prerogative, sir. If anything I can do will aid you, I am at your disposal.” 

He felt sick even saying the words but he would obey the boy’s orders. It was the only way he knew after all. 

Erik stared at the man. Dangerous and resentful of my dominion. I’ll have to make an example of him. 

He raised his gaze to the silver haired boy who was at his usual place, perched on a windowsill looking outside. “Shinzo?” 

The amber eyes regarded him. “Master?” 

“Teach him why he needs to have more respect for us.” 

The boy flowed out of the window and stared with dispassion at the telepath for a moment. His fists and feet were a blur as he started to punch and kick the telepath, his blows far harder than natural for a boy of his age or build. 

Berger groaned and keeled over under the onslaught. All he could do was protect his head as best he could. He had none of Mastermind’s speed nor Crawford’s ability to dodge blows. All he could do was endure. 

There was blood covering the telepath from the boy's claws, and more blood painted the floor and Shinzo both in bright shades of crimson. 

"Stop," Erik ordered. 

The leopard-boy froze with his hand raised to deliver another punishing blow to the cringing man. There was a slightly pleased smile on his lips and a glitter of bloodlust in his amber gaze. 

"That will be all, Shinzo." 

The boy bowed and returned to his window where he idly started to lick the blood off his hands. 

"Like his genetic father, Shinzo is mentally impervious to the powers of a telepath. If he chose to kill you-- and I allowed it-- he could. If you do anything to harm me, be assured he will kill you because he is loyal to me." 

Berger was too busy hurting to reply but he had the sinking feeling that they were all going to die due to this boy’s supreme arrogance. 

Erik leaned forward and gripped the telepath’s bloody chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Yes, I’m arrogant,” he sneered, “but then every peon feels that way, don’t they Berger?” 

The telepath raised bruised and bloodshot eyes to the boy’s face. He wanted to kill him, but carefully kept that thought shielded. “If you say so, sir,” he managed out of split and bloody lips. Then he fainted, embracing the darkness that claimed him. 

“Useless,” Erik muttered. “Worse than that poor excuse for a telepath that I have to call my brother.” 

Alec closed his eyes, his own shields at full capacity. I hate you so much, Erik. And one of these days I’m going to kill you. 

* * * * * * * 

“How long before they sort themselves out do you think?” Aya asked Crawford. After the fights at the house in Bangkok and then at the airport he was tired, jet-lagged and drained from the use of his talent. All he really wanted to do was sleep for about a week. 

It was Schuldig who answered. “If they run true to RK form he’ll take out his frustration on one of the others. Then they’ll wait for that member of their ‘team’ to heal. It’s fairly standard Rosenkreuz methodology. 

"Erik has a nasty temper," Brad commented as he brushed at some lint from the sleeve of his suit coat. "And when he doesn't get his way he's prone to not only lashing out, but to sulking as well. 

"And today, not only was he thwarted in the game he wanted to play against us, but he had a few years of his age trimmed off and none of his team saved him from that." 

There was a ghost of a smile on the man's mouth as he added. "In short, he's quite the spoiled brat and he got punished today, so, since shit rolls down hill.... He's going to be very nasty to one, possibly more of his own team." 

There was an amused glitter in Brad's eyes as he said, "And every time he punishes one of them it will make it easier for us to turn some or all of the other children against him." 

“I can’t see us winning the girl over,” Aya-chan said with a shudder. “She’s twisted as badly as that telekinetic girl. The red-haired boy and perhaps the other two silver-haired boys but not her.” 

“And both Geisl and Berger are beyond redemption,” Schuldig added. “They’re both too long in the tooth to change their ways now.” 

Farfarello glanced at Zeshin, “I think those boys should belong to me since the one we’ve got belongs to Aya-chan.” 

Aya-chan blushed and shook her head. “Zeshin belongs to himself, Farf, and that’s just how I like him.” 

"Oh, well then, if he's his own man he can decide who he belongs to all on his own then can't he?" the Irishman asked, but he was grinning and his grin only got bigger when Zeshin blushed. 

"The red-haired boy might be hard to save if he can mimic our talents," Kai mused aloud. But he was tired and any semblance of tactics was beyond him or anything else come to that. "Can we get some sleep now?" 

"I think he's got a point," Ken remarked. "Yohji's done for." 

"Am not," the blond muttered sleepily. 

"Point taken," Brad agreed. "But I want at least two of us awake at all times. I'm awake so I'll take first watch. Who else is awake enough to keep me company?" 

“I can manage a few more hours,” Aya said seeing Nagi surreptitiously rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. 

“Well I’m done for,” Schuldig freely admitted. “But four or five hours should see me right again.” 

Aya shook his head and shot a worried look at Crawford. He hadn’t forgotten the state the vampire telepath had brought both men down to. “Let Farfarello and Zeshin take second watch,” he suggested. “They’ve only used their physical skills in the past few hours.” 

Crawford nodded then got to his feet. "I'm putting Kudoh to bed, I'll be back out in a few minutes." He reached for Yohji but the blond pushed his hands away and got to his feet under his own power. 

"I'm a big boy now, daddy, I can put myself to bed," he remarked as he stepped away from the couch. His steps were unsteady, but that wasn't anything out of the ordinary when he was that tired. 

"And when big boys fall on their ass it hurts, so shut the hell up and let me help you or I'll have Farfarello tuck you in." 

Yohji sighed, "Yes daddy." 

Zeshin looked at Aya-chan. "You should go to bed too," he suggested as Crawford led Yohji from the room. 

She smiled back at him. “Once I’m assured you’re sleeping and not pacing,” she said. “You’ve got second watch so rest.” 

Aya rolled his eyes and helped himself to some of the sandwiches that Zeshin had returned with. It might be time to call room service and have something more substantial brought up for Crawford who hadn’t eaten much at all with all the fighting they’d done in the past forty-eight hours. 

Farfarello got Schuldig to his feet and took his lover to bed. 

Ken scooped Nagi into his arms. “We’ll sit the third watch, someone wake us up then okay?” 

Zeshin grabbed a sandwich as he followed Aya-chan from the room which left Aya alone with Kai. 

Aya took the younger man in his arms and kissed him. “You should get some sleep too,” he said softly. “Climb in with Yohji. He hates sleeping alone.” 

Kai nodded and smiled up at his lover. “Seems fair if you’re out here with Brad.” 

Aya chuckled. “Yeah but in no state to do more than talk and stay awake, more’s the pity.” 

He tapped Kai’s ass with an open hand. “Off you go and look after the blond bombshell.” 

Kai grinned, waved a hand and was gone, leaving Aya to gaze out of the window and wonder about an organisation that produced such twisted children. 

Brad stopped to just look at Aya standing there in front of the window. He’d always enjoyed looking at the sleek swordsman. He liked fucking him even better. 

Sighing he sat down on the couch. “All alone and not enough energy to fuck you into submission. What a pity.” 

Aya turned from his contemplation of the city outside and smiled. “Yeah, isn’t it? Did Kai get in with Yohji? I figured Yohji could use some of his healing while he sleeps. Oh, and did you want something more than sandwiches to eat?” 

Brad raised an eyebrow at all the chatter from Aya. 

“Yes Kai’s with Yohji and you’re right. Yohji does need Kai. He’s worn out from all the use of his talent.” 

He stretched and fought a yawn. “And yes I would like something to eat besides sandwiches, unfortunately you aren’t on the menu tonight.” 

Aya joined Brad on the couch and picked up the room service menu. He perused it for a moment, one brow raised in mild surprise. “What do you want to eat? They provide just about everything including champagne suppers.” 

He stole a quick, sly glance at the American. “I think that’d better wait for another night, don’t you?” 

Brad just favoured Aya with a smouldering look. “Or not.” 

He took the menu out of Aya’s hands and tossed it aside then reached up and got a good grip in the man’s red hair. He leaned closer, lowering his head to nip at the pale skin of Aya’s neck. “I’m in the mood for a delicately flavoured sausage filled with savoury cream. What about you?” 

Aya actually blushed at Brad’s words but he lifted his head to give him better access to that sensitive spot where his neck met his shoulder. He did manage to say, “We’re supposed to be keeping watch aren’t we?” but it sounded half-hearted even to his own ears. 

“We are. Can you think of a better way to stay awake than a couple hours of foreplay followed by an hour of serious fucking?” Brad asked as he nibbled along the man’s soft skin. 

He worked a hand under Aya’s clothes, and found a nipple to pinch and roll gently in his fingers. “Or do you have something more exciting in mind?” 

The only answer he received was a low growl and Aya leaning forward to catch his lips with his own in a hungry and passionate kiss. 

“Shut up talking and get that suit off before I rip it off you.” 

Brad smiled and pressed his free hand to Aya’s crotch, feeling the hard length of his lover’s cock. “I seem to have my hands full. Maybe you should help me get undressed.” 

Aya regarded him solemnly for a minute or two before smiling. He reached out and undid the buttons of Crawford’s jacket before easing it off his shoulders to halfway down his arms. The knot of Brad’s tie was pulled apart and the useless ‘garment’ tossed aside. Aya then started on the shirt buttons, undoing them slowly, one at a time until the planes of Brad’s chest were exposed to his gaze. 

He licked his lips and pulled the shirt down to join the jacket, effectively trapping Brad’s arms. Then he leaned forward and took a raisin-coloured nipple in his mouth, sucking gently. 

Brad gave a throaty almost growl at what Aya was doing, his head thrown back, eyes half-closed with the pleasurable sensation. The mild feeling of being helpless that having his arms trapped in his clothing gave added a sense of semi-dominance to what the younger man was doing to him. 

Aya smiled inwardly at the sound and moved to the other nipple to give it the same treatment. 

Cock aching and painfully hard, Brad struggled with his clothes, trying to get out of them and found that without the ability to use his hands he was actually well trapped and unable to get free. “Evil kitten,” he groaned. 

Aya gave him a smirk that was as cheeky as any that Schuldig or Yohji could come up with and started undoing his belt - very slowly. 

“Very evil,” Brad added at the feel of Aya’s hands undoing his belt. He licked lips gone dry at the thought of what the younger man might have in store for him and what he might be planning regarding the use of the belt. 

Brad’s cock jumped as he thought of the feel of leather striking his bare ass, but he’d leave it up to Aya. He wasn’t about to give the younger man any ideas that weren’t from his own nicely twisted mind. Not this time anyway. 

Aya pulled the belt free and undid the button on the pants, using both hands to pull the edges of the cloth apart so that the zip slid down on its own. He freed Brad’s cock and ran a sword-calloused hand down the length of it, enjoying the feel of the silken skin and the thick vein underneath. He applied the gentlest of pressure on the head, watching as a bead of pre-cum formed in the slit. 

Brad shuddered and moaned, the sound needy but ending in a demanding growl as he leaned forward and started to suck his lover’s pale throat. 

Aya pushed him away after a moment of simply enjoying the feelings coursing through his body. Then he pushed some more until Brad was on his knees in front of the couch. He pulled pants and underwear down as far as the precog’s knees and frowned. There was too much material wrapped round his lover’s arms. 

Brad was smirking and trying not to, but he knew Aya was about to indulge in one of their mutual fantasies and he couldn’t help the excitement burning through his veins. 

Remembering the tie he’d tossed aside he retrieved it from the arm of the couch and pulled the shirt and jacket down further. Once they were close to the older man’s wrists he tied the tie around them and drew the shirt and jacket off completely. Nodding to himself in satisfaction he picked up the belt, doubled it up and slapped it hard on Crawford’s naked butt. 

He’d let Aya do what he pleased just to get to that moment, the sting of the belt rocketing through him and wrenching a louder groan of pleasure from him. 

“Such a wicked kitten. I love wicked kittens too, how perfect,” he murmured and waited for another kiss of leather on his bare ass. 

“Just as long as you never forget that kittens have sharp claws,” Aya said and brought the belt down again, slightly harder this time. 

Brad gasped his whole body shuddering as a few white points of pain-light burned across his vision. “I’d never forget that,” he replied, voice tight with the intensity of sensations coursing through him. “Nor will I forget that this particular wicked kitten swings a belt like a pro.” 

Aya chuckled softly and slapped the belt down a few more times until Brad’s ass had turned a rosy pink. Then he ran a gentle hand over the marks he’d made, marks that told him the American was his to do as he pleased with. The thought made his cock twitch in his pants and he unzipped his flies freeing it from constraint. 

“You said you wanted sausage,” he said, his deep voice full of emotion as he moved round so his erection was at the entrance to Brad’s mouth. 

With the burn of the welts on his ass Brad was perfectly happy and eager to comply with almost any demand the red-head asked of him. 

“So I did,” he agreed in a soft murmur. He opened his mouth, a glitter of wicked mischief in his eyes as he ran just the very tip of his tongue over the head of Aya’s cock. 

Aya groaned and staggered slightly. Falling to his knees he let Brad do whatever he wanted to do with his mouth. 

Brad pushed Aya down on the floor, shoving the coffee table aside so they had enough room. He was still tied up, but it hardly mattered as the American asserted his own control on the former Weiss. He took the head of Aya’s erection into his mouth and sucked gently, the tip of his tongue flicking over the slit, tasting pre-cum. 

Aya groaned out his appreciation. Resting his weight on his elbows he stared down the length of his body to watch, revelling in the sight of the American with his mouth full of his ‘sausage’. 

The Schwarz leader let the edge of his teeth graze the sensitive flesh, giving a hint of pain to his lover before soothing it with the sweep of his tongue and a rapid throating of the full length of Aya’s cock. 

Aya thrust his hips upward in his need to be buried to the balls in Brad’s mouth. Then he relaxed again, letting the American take the initiative once more. It was always better that way, they’d found during their night of passion out of time that the pleasure was intensified if they worked towards it as equals. 

Crawford sucked the flesh in his mouth, going slow, teasing and tormenting until he couldn’t bear the neglect of his own cock anymore. He stopped and gazed at Aya with feverish eyes. “My turn,” he growled. 

“Yes,” Aya agreed. He let his hips sink to the floor and shimmied under Crawford’s body until he had his mouth directly under the precog’s large cock. He reached up a hand and caressed the back of it while licking it like an ice popsicle. 

Another deep rumbling groan slipped from Brad as Aya’s skilful mouth wrapped around him. He twisted his body just enough to get one hand around Aya’s cock. He stroked it slowly to keep Aya in a state of arousal while still denying him the pleasure of release. 

Aya used his mouth in exactly the same way as Brad was using his hand, enough to give him pleasure without release until, tired of the game he pulled away altogether and slid out from under the bound man. 

The American raised an eyebrow in silent enquiry, curious to see what Aya had in mind. 

Aya dug a hand in one of his pockets and retrieved a tube of lube with one hand while the other caressed the welts he’d made with the belt. 

“I’m sorry, Brad, but if we keep this up for too long I’ll be too tired to keep watch.” He shook his head, the sight of Brad’s reddened ass too much to resist. “However…” He knelt behind the older man and leaned forward, kissing first the welts and then licking down the crack until he reached the hole. He licked all around it before spearing his tongue inside. 

Brad's groan was much louder this time, his whole body shaking from what Aya was doing, his cock dripping pre-cum onto the carpet. 

"Yesss..." he hissed out and pressed back against the invading muscle, wanting more, wanting something that could go deeper. 

Aya pulled away, licking his lips to get the last of the slightly acrid taste left on them into his mouth and savour it. Smearing lube on his fingers he inserted first one and then a second, scissoring them as he went. 

"Fuck me, Aya. Right now!" Crawford demanded as he considered turning the tables and breaking free of the tie that held him to take Aya over the coffee table. 

“So impatient,” Aya murmured even as he moved to comply, withdrawing his fingers and pressing the head of his cock against the tight ring of muscle. He pushed in just a little way, teasing Crawford some more. 

Crawford gave another growling moan and pushed back, trying to end the teasing. He turned lust-bright eyes on his lover, "You're just asking to be fucked with all this teasing." 

Aya chuckled. “I wondered how long it would take you to catch on.” 

Brad broke free of the tie holding his arms and moved so that Aya's cock slid free before he turned around and gripped the younger man's shoulders and pressed him back onto the top of the coffee table. 

"Play time is over. Now you're going to be fucked until you beg for my mercy," the American actually grinned, "and as everyone knows, I grant no mercy." 

Aya merely smirked back, a distinctly challenging gleam in the depths of his eyes. 

"So that's how you wish to play this game is it?" Brad asked as he picked up the lube and slicked his cock down, his dark, smouldering gaze never leaving the former Weiss' face. 

“No, just don’t have the energy to do a good enough job of fucking you until you cry for mercy.” 

"Now that's a real shame," Brad said as he leaned in and set his mouth over Aya's in a kiss that made a close second to some of Yohji's better efforts. 

Aya returned the kiss with total abandon until he dragged his mouth away. "Next time it’s your turn - or mine - but right now just get on with it, Brad, I can't wait any longer." 

"So impatient," Brad murmured as he lowered his head to set his teeth to the tender spot between Aya's neck and shoulder. He bit gently, "Now where did you put that lube?" 

Aya raised a languorous hand. The tube was still clutched between long fingers. “Here,” he murmured. 

Brad smiled, "I seem to have my hands full of delicious assassin. Would you mind helping me with that?" he asked and nudged his cock gently against Aya's balls. 

Aya gave a long-suffering sigh as he squeezed out a glob of lube onto his hand and began coating Brad’s cock. “Why do I have to do all the work?” he asked irritably but his eyes were full of good-humoured mischief. 

Brad chuckled and nipped his lover's neck, "Because it feels better when you do it, and because it leaves my hands free to do this," and he gripped Aya's cock in his fist, pumping it slowly. 

“Mmm, you have all night to stop that…” Then Aya became incoherent and pulled Brad closer lifting his legs round the other man’s waist. 

Crawford smirked and slid his cock inside the red-haired man, his hand continuing the slow movement that was soon joined by the motion of his cock inside the heat of his lover's body. 

“Oh….gods….yes,” Aya gasped out as the double dose of bliss took him over. 

And Aya was lost in the pleasure, understanding now that he loved this man just as much as he loved Yohji. The thought caused no pain or guilt as he knew that Yohji and Brad were halfway to loving each other. He smiled inwardly as he thought of Kai who all three of them protected and cared for. Then he stopped thinking altogether as the pleasure built towards release. 

Brad thrust faster, driving his cock deeper as his arms tightened around the slender swordsman. 

"Mine," he growled into Aya's ear. His balls tightened against his body as he neared release, determined to hold out until he heard the sound of Abyssinian, his Abyssinian crying out as he climaxed. 

“Yours,” Aya whispered, contentment as well as pleasure sweeping through him and conspiring to send him over the edge into an orgasm so intense that he cried out Brad’s name. 

Hearing Aya's deep voice crying out his name as the pleasure overwhelmed the swordsman was all the incentive Brad needed to cum, and it was one of the sweetest sounds he'd ever heard. 

He groaned and thrust deeply into his lover as he came, his entire body going rigid as he held the younger man to himself, shuddering with the emotions filling him: pleasure, satisfaction and love. 

Aya let Brad simply hold him for a while, enjoying the peace after the emotional storm. He knew they still had major fights ahead but for now they could rest and enjoy each other. 

His head started to droop a little and he realised just how tired he really was. It must be nearly time for Zeshin and Farfarello to relieve them. He moved away slowly and reached for his clothes. 

Brad stopped him, but only long enough to take a lingering look at his lover's body. "We'll win this because you're mine and I have no intention of losing you, or Kudoh," he remarked as he ran a hand over his lover's hip and down one long thigh before he leaned closer and kissed the head of Aya's cock. 

Aya closed his eyes in pleasure for a moment before saying, "We'll win this because we must. I don't intend to spend eternity running." 

He pulled on his pants and frowned. All he really wanted to do was fall into bed in Brad's arms but something was nagging at him. "Do you think any of those kids are saveable?" 

"I'm not ready to say yes or no at this point. A lot will depend on how the situation is handled." Brad stood and started to pull on his own clothes, stopped and reached out to pull Aya into his arms enfolding the younger man in his embrace, his hands stroking along the swordsman's torso. "I'll allow nothing to happen that might prove detrimental to us later." 

He kissed Aya, "I love you even if you are a bitch sometimes." He smiled, "It's part of your allure." 

“My allure?” Aya asked, one brow raised in sceptical amusement. 

Brad smirked. "Oh yes. Ever since that stupid Human Chess business, I've desired you. Cold as ice stare, katana throwing fits and all." He kissed Aya gently then let him go. 

“That wasn’t so much a fit as pure frustration.” He cocked his head to one side as a thought came to him. “Why didn’t you let me kill him then? You must have known you were going to let me kill him later.” 

"Because if I'd let you kill him then, we wouldn't be standing here together now," Brad replied as regarded the beautiful man who was his lover. He kissed Aya again, murmuring against his lips, "And this was worth the wait." 

“Did your gift produce that kind of patience or did you have to learn it?” Aya asked. 

"Rosenkreuz and working for the Elders taught it to me. Working for that fucking idiot Takatori Reiji just reinforced the lessons." 

Brad's hands started to explore Aya's body, and the American leaned down to nip the side of the pale neck. 

"Figures. Leave the two of you alone for a second and you've got your clothes off," Farfarello said, voice full of humour as he dropped into a chair. "Don't stop because I'm here. I could use a good show."


	7. Chapter 7

Takatori Mamoru climbed out of the Mercedes that had carried him from the airport and gazed up at the schloss. It was an imposing building obviously conceived for size and splendour rather than having the fairy tale quality of some of the prettier schloss along the banks of the Rhine. 

This one had been built by one of the crazier Bavarian monarchs and it showed. Although large there was an almost tangible pall of gloom hanging over the place. Whether this was due to the current residents or a heavy dose of history, he had no way of knowing. 

The Rosenkreuz agent who had accompanied him from the airport now ushered him through a set of double doors. 

“Master Erik has asked to see you immediately Takatori-san,” he said, “If you will follow me.” He led the way down a long corridor lined with suits of western medieval armour to another set of double doors which he threw open with a flourish. 

Mamoru frowned. Whoever ‘Master Erik’ was he had a penchant for grandiose gestures and attempts to make his guests feel at a disadvantage. Not for the first time he wondered exactly what his fool of a grandfather had got them involved in. 

He strode into the room to find a motley collection of people, half of whom appeared to be children. His frown deepened. 

Seated in an almost throne of a chair, was a boy of about thirteen or fourteen. He had dark, piercing eyes, and thick brown hair and he was watching Takatori Mamoru enter the room with an almost total lack of interest. 

Standing beside him were a girl of about ten or eleven with dark hair, and a boy with hair like captive fire who couldn't have been much older than the girl. At his feet were a pale haired pair of boys, one of about five or six, the last one a few years older than the others. 

There was no place for anyone but the boy to sit down, and a narrow ornate Persian rug led to the chair on which he was seated. 

"And you would be Takatori Mamoru, head of this Kritiker organization we're to assist." It wasn't a question, it was a statement of fact. 

"According to my grandfather‘s wishes, yes," Mamoru agreed. "You are 'Master Erik' I take it." 

He could feel the power in the room and it made his skin crawl as he knew he was powerless to control it or to prevent those present from using it against him. Mentally cursing his grandfather as an old fool he schooled his thoughts so that any telepath present would only read his determination to destroy those who had once been Weiss, who had betrayed Kritiker, who had disobeyed him. His anger rose as he thought of Zeshin, Ken and Nagi especially. 

"Yes," the young teen replied. "I'm Erik Crawford." 

“Crawford?” Mamoru almost spat the word out. “You’re related to that bastard?” 

The boy's eyes narrowed. "That bastard is my father, thank you," Erik retorted coldly. Of course he wouldn't bother to mention to this waste of oxygen that he hated his father. Human scum didn't need to know things like that. 

“Then we have nothing further to discuss,” Mamoru said coldly. “I was obviously misinformed as I was led to believe you wanted the downfall of Schwarz.” 

"You weren't misinformed at all, but you do seem to be rather good at making assumptions. It's a bad habit and you really should do something to correct it or it may get you killed," Erik replied. He favoured the Takatori fool with a frosty smile. *Useless wretch. If we didn't want Kritiker I'd just kill him now,* Erik told his gathered team. 

*It would be easy. He has no protection from any of us,* the red-haired boy on his left stated silently. 

*At least you could let Alec slip in and teach him to behave, Erik,* the girl on his right suggested. 

*No. Let the human think he's an important ally for the moment. There will be enough time later to teach him his mistakes,* Erik told them. 

*His hatred for Crawford is almost as strong as yours,* Berger sent, *but he really wants Naoe, Hidaka and another like Shinzo dead.* 

The boy’s rudeness did nothing to endear him to Mamoru and he turned on his heel after saying, “I’m not in the habit of either making assumptions or working with people who make veiled threats. I believe we are both wasting our time.” And when he got home he was going to kill his grandfather. 

The doors opened again to admit a woman who sighed irritably before stepping forward. “Takatori-san, how good of you to come all this way. I’m afraid my son is playing his rather silly games again. Shall we go somewhere more comfortable and discuss how we can be of mutual benefit to each other?” 

Mamoru came to a halt and studied her. Smart, polite and cold. Someone he felt he could do business with. “Very well,” he agreed. 

Erik stared at the woman who was his mother. Anger seethed just beneath the calm surface he presented, but he quickly got it under control. 

"Why thank you so much mother. I'm rather tired and I think I'll be going to bed now," he told her and motioned to his central team, his siblings and the two of Farfarello's get. Together they headed for the other door behind his throne chair that led into a corridor that would take them to the area they shared. 

"ERIK!" The woman's voice cracked through the air like a whip. "If you wish to take over at the head of Rosenkreuz I suggest you learn the basics of courtesy and come with Takatori-san and myself. Your team can wait for you here." 

The boy stopped where he was, then motioned for his team to return to their places before he joined his mother and the human. "I'm here, mother," he replied softly with his head bowed, emotions veiled by the mental walls he always kept firmly in place. 

“Then let’s go somewhere more comfortable and more conducive to putting our guest at his ease,” she said. “If you would follow me, Takatori-san, there is a rather nice sitting room where we can talk.” 

Mamoru inclined his head and followed the woman back down the corridor and through a door on the right. It led to a cosy room with a fire burning brightly in a huge hearth and comfortable armchairs drawn up around it. There was a tray on a low table with two pots of tea and one of coffee plus three cups and some dainty sandwiches on it. He sighed in relief. 

Erik sat down and stared at the Japanese man through half closed eyes. He felt nothing but contempt for the former Weiss. The man had betrayed his own team-- not that Erik was incapable of a certain degree of that-- what was unforgivable was his failure to get a job done. 

It only frustrated Erik more to realize he wasn't doing too well on that score either as his encounter with Schwarz had shown. 

“Please take a seat, Takatori-san,” the woman said as she seated herself close to the tray. “I wasn’t sure if you favoured black or green tea or if your preference was for coffee so I ordered some of each.” 

“Green tea would be very welcome,” Mamoru said with a close facsimile of one of his former sunny smiles. His eyes remained watchful, wary and cold however. 

"I'll have coffee, mother," Erik said quietly, trying not to do anything else to rouse the bitch's ire. 

She poured two cups of coffee and one of green tea and handed round the sandwiches. “I understand you are as interested in the… annihilation of Essett as we are,” she began. “Especially those who betrayed your organisation and… their new-found friends.” 

“I had mistakenly believed that one or two of them were already dead,” Mamoru said. “I sent one of those hybrids, like the one you have here, to kill the two most dangerous, as I saw it, but it betrayed me.” He sighed. Neither Aya nor Yohji would have hurt him then. Perhaps he should have handled things differently. 

"Never send a lackey to do an important job," Erik stated. 

“You’re right. I should have done the job myself,” Mamoru agreed. “Because I didn’t they’ve joined with Schwarz.” He almost spat the name out. 

"Considering their past, don't you find that in the least bit odd?" Erik asked, intentionally trying to sow a few seeds of doubt. 

“Actually, no,” Mamoru said. “Oh, I did at first, but it was only logical that they would migrate to their own kind. My biggest mistake was entrusting Zeshin with the task.” 

"He wasn't ever completely yours or he couldn't have refused you," Erik informed Mamoru. "It's not in their natures to fail, or betray their masters." 

“That’s not strictly true, Erik,” the woman said. “My intelligence sources say that he did try but was prevented by Schwarz arriving on the scene. If it is any consolation, Takatori-san, he was yours at the time. Now he belongs to one of the very people you sent him to kill.” 

Mamoru frowned. He couldn’t imagine either Aya or Yohji wanting such a pet. 

Erik glanced at his mother. "Mother I was trying to spare him a few truths. I'm sure that knowing his former team mates harboured such... deviant sexual natures wasn't something he wanted or needed to find out about." 

“On the contrary, Erik-san, the more I can find out about what they’ve become the better,” Mamoru said with one of his political smiles. “I learned from a very young age that one should keep one’s enemies even closer than one’s friends. I was naïve in thinking they were my friends it seems.” 

"So it seems," Erik agreed. 

His mother shot him a stern look before turning a chilling smile on Mamoru. “So in exchange for our aid, what is Kritiker offering?” 

“What do you need?” 

Erik looked to his mother for the answer. 

She appeared to give it some thought. “Some expendable manpower to throw at Schwarz while we… prepare.” She shot a look at Erik as she said that. “And the possibility to recruit in Japan.” 

Mamoru considered her proposition carefully. Then he smiled. “I have the very people you need. Good at recon, trusted by Fujimiya and explosives experts. As for recruiting in Japan, as soon as Schwarz are dealt with you can have free rein to search for talents in Japan.” 

Erik regarded his mother for a moment, "Preparations are well underway, mother." He put on a smile but his eyes were blank of any warmth. "I'll be interested to see what these Kritiker agents can do against Schwarz." 

Mamoru put down his cup and steepled his fingers. “It’s my belief that at least one or two members of Crashers are fr…talents and they are well able to infiltrate.” He smiled, the same meaningless lifting of lips that the other two people in the room were so good at. “Especially as one of them is an ex-lover of Fujimiya’s.” 

Erik nodded, and tapped his fingertip to his chin as if thinking. "So you think he'll be able to get close enough to them to, what? Carry out an attack?" 

*Alec. Berger. Tell me what this creature is thinking. What are his real intentions in sending this ex-lover to Fujimiya?" 

*He wants rid of these Crashers,* Berger sent. *Apparently one of them sent him sprawling in public. He’s hoping that the two teams kill each other. Also he really wants an end to Naoe Nagi, their pyro Hidaka and Zeshin their cat.* 

*Berger is correct. He wants revenge. And he considers us all freaks.* amusement filled Alec's mental tone, *It would be easy to twist his mind. He has no shields, unlike his former team mates.* 

*Yes,* Berger agreed, *he’s only here because his grandfather sent him. The old fool thinks he can manipulate us. The young fool isn’t quite that stupid.* 

*Both fools will be dealt with in their own time,* Erik sent to his telepaths. While he himself wasn't one, Alec served as a bridge between him and everyone else. 

*For now, I want you to put the idea in his head that he has nothing to fear from any of us. It will make it easier for us later if he doesn't suspect our motives.* 

Meanwhile his mother was asking Mamoru his terms. 

“Just make sure Schwarz die,” Mamoru said. Then a terrible smile crossed his features. “My grandfather thinks to use both you and me. If you could find a way to get rid of him too I would be grateful.” 

Erik smiled. "I think that can be arranged." 

“Excellent. Do you need Crashers here or should I send them straight out into the field?” 

“Would they know where Schwarz are?” the woman asked. 

“I believe an e-mail from them to Fujimiya would get us that information. He’s always trusted them.” 

"Excellent," Erik murmured, his lips pulled into a smirk that made the resemblance to Crawford even more apparent. 

“So, you want me to send them off on their own?” 

"For now yes. We can have some of our people move in as soon as you have their location pinpointed," Erik replied. Of course they already had a good idea where Schwarz was, but Crawford would keep them on the move and that would make it more difficult for the RK teams to pin them down. 

"They won't run if they think they're meeting with friends. Just have them tell us where Schwarz is, we'll handle the rest," the boy said with an icy smile. 

Mamoru nodded. It was a good plan and the boy was going up in his estimation. He rose to his feet. “Very well,” he agreed. “I’ll spend a night at a hotel to get over my jet lag and fly back tomorrow. Then I’ll send for Crashers and set them on Schwarz. Did we need to discuss anything else?” 

Erik again looked to his mother for the answer even though he knew what she would tell the useless human. 

She also rose and extended a hand to shake Mamoru’s. “No, I don’t think so,” she said. “Oh, we will need to know where your grandfather and your cousin can be found.” 

“My cousin?” Mamoru was completely at a loss. “I thought my half-brothers were both dead along with my cousin Ouka.” It looked like his grandfather had been holding out on him once again. “If there is a cousin my grandfather will have him or her hidden away.” 

"It's funny really. You didn't know about your cousin, and Crawford didn't know about his children," Erik commented as he rose to his feet. "I'll be going. My team is waiting for me." 

*Berger here is your chance to make up for your mistake. I want him to trust us and I want him to think I'm his new best friend. Can you do that?* 

*It’s easy enough if that’s what you want,* Berger agreed. 

“Actually I don’t find it at all funny,” Mamoru was saying. “It means the old bastard was plotting against me.” A strange expression crossed his face and then he smiled at Erik with genuine warmth. “I’d be extremely grateful if you’d rid me of both of them.” 

"You know..." Erik began, "staying here would be cheaper than going to a hotel, Mamoru. Don't you think so mother? And our food is excellent too." 

The woman shot him a look but didn’t argue. “We would be happy to offer you a room here, Takatori-san,” she said. 

“Well, if it’s not too much trouble, I would very much appreciate it. Thank you.” 

Erik laughed and stood, motioning to Mamoru. "Of course it's not too much trouble, is it mother? You can stay with my team and I. I'm sure we'll enjoy your company." 

Mamoru smiled again, the expression making him look his true age. “That sounds like fun,” he said and followed the boy out of the room. 

The woman stared after them for a moment, wondering what Erik was up to this time. 

* * * * * * * 

Yohji was working his way through his second cigarette, standing by the open balcony door so he wouldn't be nagged for it later. 

So much had happened that sometimes he had trouble getting his mind around even half of it. This was one of those times. 

Kai came up behind him and slipped his arms round his waist, leaning his head against his back. “You seem tense, Yohji, have you rested enough?” 

"I couldn't sleep anymore. I think that's a first, actually," he told the younger man. He took a deep inhalation from the cigarette and then tossed it aside. He let the smoke go and turned to face Kai, pulling the smaller man close and just standing there holding him. 

“Anyone else awake yet?" 

“Nagi and Ken. They had the third watch and are now ordering breakfast for everyone.” 

"I'm not very hungry," Yohji commented. "But I could go for a light snack," he leaned down and captured Kai's mouth. 

Kai kissed him back, letting some of his ‘energy’ seep into the blond and do it’s healing work. When they broke apart he said, “I think they’re getting a selection. Pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs, cereal, toast, tea and coffee. There should be something in there that you might want to eat.” 

Yohji's jade eyes warmed. "But I've already found something to eat," he murmured into Kai's ear. He nibbled down the younger man's neck. He hadn't had sex in... well longer than he wanted to think about and he'd smelled it on both Brad and Aya which had gotten him both jealous and aroused at the same time. 

Kai wasn’t about to argue. Physically Yohji was at peak condition. It was his talent that had been constantly drained over the past couple of days. He gave himself up to the pleasure he was feeling. 

The former Weiss was just about to scoop Kai up and carry him to the bedroom when he heard someone clearing their throat. He knew the voice. Sighing he let Kai go and looked at the Schwarz leader. 

"We aren't staying here long enough for even a quickie," he told the blond as he crossed the room. He took Yohji into his arms and gave the man a deep kiss, treated Kai to the same thing, and then pushed them both toward the door. "Let the room service people in." 

There was a loud knock. 

"I hate it when he does that," Yohji muttered as he headed for the door. 

A maid pushed a trolley groaning under the weight of their order into the hallway. “Where do you want it?” she asked. 

“Just leave it there, thank you,” Aya said from just behind Yohji, “we can manage.” He handed her some dollar bills and waited until the door was closed behind her before kissing Yohji. 

Yohji responded to Aya's kiss, his arms going around the sleek swordsman, his cock instantly hard. 

"Enough Kudoh," Brad ordered gently. "We don't have time." To Kai he said, "Get everyone moving. We're got an hour to eat and be on our way." 

Yohji didn't let Aya go, holding on even tighter in response to the demand. He didn't give a damn about food. He needed to get laid and he was intent on getting what he wanted for a change. 

Aya sighed slightly but pulled away from Yohji to push the trolley into the main room. The rest of Schwarz were appearing from bedroom doorways and heading towards the trolley. Grabbing some bacon and scrambled egg Aya got out of the way of the minor stampede. 

Muttering Yohji stalked off toward the nearest bathroom. "Don't think I'll forget this," he snarled in frustration. 

Brad strode after the blond. "Save me some of the food. I have something to deal with." 

Farfarello yawned and watched Brad going after Yohji. "I can see today is going to be another fun-filled romp," he muttered as he grabbed a plate. 

Schuldig sniggered at his lovers’ words but soon shut up when Aya directed a glare his way. 

“Sorry, Aya,” he muttered. Then he frowned. “Why don’t we just go back and creep up on them right now?” 

“Because a few things need to happen first, apparently,” Aya said. 

Farfarello hadn't even finished his bacon before Crawford returned. "Save some sausage and two biscuits for Yohji. He'll eat in the car," he got out between gritted teeth. 

Only a blind person would have missed the erection tenting the Schwarz leader's trousers or the anger in his eyes as he picked up a plate and started to fill it. Whatever had happened it hadn't turned out the way Brad wanted and it didn't take a genius to know Yohji was in for trouble later. 

* * * * * * * 

The flight down to Rio had been incident free and all airports had been precisely as they should have been. Schuldig and Nagi got their weapons through check-ins, security checks and customs with no problems at all and the hotel was very nice so Aya had to wonder what could go wrong. 

A few moments with Nagi’s laptop catching up on e-mails gave him his answer. Yuushi wanted to know where he was. 

The rest of the team had gone looking for food at Brad's insistence, leaving Aya, Crawford and Yohji alone in their suite. 

A sharp cry came from behind the closed bedroom door where Brad had taken Yohji. It wasn't a gasp of pleasure. Faintly Aya could hear Brad saying, "Will you obey me without any more of your shit?" 

The answer he got was a shuddering whisper that Aya couldn't quite hear. 

Aya hoped it was a ‘yes’ for Yohji’s sake. Brad could not afford to have anything less than total obedience during the current situation. He knew Yohji was frustrated and that in turn was making him behave like a prize brat. But they couldn’t afford any bratty behaviour right now. However, with this new problem they didn’t have time for further punishment either. 

“Crawford,” he called, “we have a new problem.” 

Brad came out of the bedroom. His tie was off, suit coat removed, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up and his belt was missing from his trousers. Perspiration glistened on his forehead showing that, whatever he'd been doing had accounted for a great deal of physical exertion. 

"I hope to never have to do that to any of you ever again," he stated. There was a harsh grating note in his voice. 

"I'd ask what now, but you must realize I already know, Aya." Crawford dropped onto the couch and rested his head on the cushioned back, closing his eyes. He shuddered slightly, "Mamoru has gone to Austria. The game has begun." 

“He’s sent Crashers on our tail I think. There’s an e-mail from Yuushi. He may have told them that we’re with you against our will. I haven’t even opened the e-mail just in case.” 

"Open the email, but don't let it send an auto reply," Brad replied. "As with everything involving you, what I'm seeing is... indistinct. But yes, I believe that Mamoru has made a promise to those in charge of Esset that he has some way to..." he sighed and shook his head. "I can't tell what he's promised, other than it includes..." 

Brad sat up and stared at the red-haired man with narrowed eyes. "Your former lover." 

Aya sighed irritably at the look on Brad’s face. “Former being the operative word,” he said. “Yuushi and I stopped being lovers some years ago when Masato got over his injury and rejoined the team.” 

He snickered softly in remembrance. “There was hardly a day went by when we didn’t argue about something or other, usually something really petty. I’m fond of them all, Brad, but I have enough lovers to cope with right now, without picking up the pieces with an old one.” 

He sobered again very quickly. “I just don’t know what he will have been told.” 

"You certainly do have more than enough lovers to deal with. And I'd say they've been told nothing good about the situation. It's either an outright lie, or their version of the truth depending on how you view your being with us." 

Brad frowned as his stomach rumbled. "We haven't eaten since breakfast. Do you want to pry Yohji off the floor and go find somewhere to eat or call room service?" 

“Call room service. I imagine Yohji will want to eat standing up and he can hardly do that in public. Besides, we need to decide how to answer this, depending on what Yuushi has said.” 

Brad nodded. "I want steak, or something else substantial. You can order for me while I try and get a better idea what Esset is doing. Go see to Yohji first though. He's going to need some comforting I think." 

Aya’s brows rose but he said nothing. Instead he rose to his feet and went into the bedroom, shutting the door softly behind him. 

Yohji was laying on the floor, a fine coating of sweat covering his entire body. His ass was red as fire and covered in well placed welts the width of Brad's belt. His wrists were handcuffed to the leg at the head of the bedframe while his ankles were fastened to the leg at the foot with Brad‘s tie. 

He wasn't moving, but Aya could hear that each breath was a ragged gasp. 

Apart from this somewhat erotic sight there were two broken chairs and a smashed vase. Yohji had not given in without a fight but that was to be expected. He squatted down by the side of his lover. 

“Yohji?” He wouldn’t attempt to free his blond lover until he was sure the man knew it was him. A kick in the face was not something he relished receiving. 

"Go away," was the tense answer. The blond had his face to the side of the bed and he didn't turn to look at Aya. 

Sighing softly, Aya leaned forward to untie Yohji’s ankles before reaching up to undo the cuffs with the key Crawford had left on the night stand. 

“I’ll leave you to come out when you’re ready.” As erotic a sight as Yohji bound and beaten had been, Aya was angry. Sure, Yohji didn’t always jump to attention immediately but this was overkill. 

"Fucking go away already!" Yohji snarled. 

Brad's first words to Aya as he came out of the bedroom were: "Don't even say it. I know exactly what I did and what the results will be." 

He took his glasses off and put them on the coffee table. "I ordered food for us, I hope you don't mind but I'm starving. We can try to decide what action to take regarding your former team mates." 

“Before we do that I want to know what the results will be,” Aya said as he crossed to the couch opposite Brad and sat down in front of the laptop. 

"No more disobedience." 

“Does the end justify the means? We’re supposed to be a team, not your lackeys.” 

"I didn't treat him like a lackey!" Brad snapped angrily. "I treated him like a man that I love. If he'd been a lackey I'd have shot him." 

Aya actually smiled then. “That’s true. Okay, I’ve said all I’m going to say on the subject.” A knock at the door heralded the arrival of food and Aya went to collect it, handing Brad the steak while he was pleased to see a much lighter meal of grilled fish and vegetables for himself. 

Brad accepted the steak and started in on the big meal. He'd barely gotten to the second mouthful of steak when a totally naked Yohji came out of the bed room and leaned over the couch between the pair of them. 

"I hope there's something for me." He voice was steady, but he was speaking in a more hesitant tone than he normally used, as if not sure how far his punishment would extend. 

Brad cut a piece of steak and offered it to Yohji on the end of the fork. Yohji accepted it and started to chew. 

“There’s an e-mail from Yuushi,” Aya told him unhappily. “We were just about to figure out what to do about it.” 

"Yuushi? From Crashers? Why would they contact us?" he asked as Brad offered him another bite of the steak which he accepted. 

Brad took a bite of his dinner. "Open it and read it," he instructed. 

Mentally thanking all internet gods everywhere for web mail, Aya complied. Yuushi’s message was short and to the point. 

‘Just thought you ought to know that Mamoru has set us against Schwarz. We’ll play along for now. 

Yuushi.’ 

"A warning. Do you think we can trust it?" Yohji asked, looking from Aya to Brad who fed him more of the steak. 

"I believe we can," Brad replied as he chewed. "What we need to decide is how to turn this to our advantage in order to bring Takatori and his allies in Esset down." 

Aya was thoughtful as he gazed at the e-mail. “Crashers would almost certainly help us against Rosenkreuz if asked,” he said. “The question mark is over Queen. She might feed info back to Takatori. Once we take his playmates out of the equation Takatori Mamoru is relatively easy to deal with.” 

He glanced up then and fixed the two men with a hard stare. “When we do, he’s mine.” 

Brad smiled. "Of course. You always get dibs on any Takatori you want." 

"I wonder if he still has Manx and Birman working for him," Yohji said. 

"Birman yes, Manx no. She's done a disappearing act. She didn't care for the way Mamoru treated us," Brad told him. 

“Makes sense,” Aya said with a shrug. “It was Birman who sent us to Hokkaido. She must have known what Zeshin was intended to do there.” 

Yohji's jade eyes narrowed. "I'd say we can bet on that." 

"And you'd be right," Brad stated as he picked up his glasses and put them on. He glanced back at Yohji, reached up and pulled the blond lower so he could kiss him. 

Yohji pulled away. "Don't." 

Brad pushed his glasses up. "So my food is good enough for you, but not my love?" 

Aya raised a brow. That was the second time that Brad had spoken of his love for the blond. 

But right now he was more concerned with Queen’s position. She was to Crashers what Manx had been to them. Then something else Brad had said sank in. 

“Manx disappeared? She virtually raised Mamoru, told us he had our best interests at heart when she gave us the files on Kai and Zeshin. I find it strange that she would abandon him… unless…” But the answer was obvious. Like the rest of them, Manx had loved Tsukiyono Omi, not Takatori Mamoru. 

It still didn’t answer his concerns about Queen though. 

Brad turned partway around on the couch to regard Yohji. 

"Yes she did. I don't know where she's gone. All I saw was Birman's reaction to the news. It wasn't a very detailed vision either, but it makes me wonder. 

"I want to have Nagi see if he can hack the Kritiker system while we're here. Right now we're well ahead of any RK or Kritiker agents. They don't know where we've gone, but that won't take them long to discover." 

The Schwarz leader reached up and touched Yohji's cheek. When the younger man didn't pull away, Brad tried to kiss him. 

Yohji started to pull away, but relented and let Brad have what he wanted, an involuntary gasp coming from him as Crawford ran a gentle hand over his abused ass. Tears blurred his vision. It still hurt. Even being shot hadn't hurt like this and he hoped to hell he was never on the receiving end of the other man's anger again. 

He'd fought hard to keep Brad from doing it to him, but it hadn't helped. Brad had easily blocked every effort to hit him while getting in a few punches that had finally taken Yohji down. 

Brad ended the kiss. "When Kai returns he can take some of the sting out of it." 

Yohji nodded. 

"Go rest." 

And Yohji did as he'd been told without an argument. 

Brad waited until the door closed then picked up his fork and took a bite of the cooling steak. He shook his head and set the fork down. 

"You wondered why I was so hard on Yohji, so I'll tell you. He still has an attraction to women, and from what I've seen Queen could have lured him away into danger. I've made sure that won't happen." 

Aya put his hands to his temples and sighed. His first instinct was to trust Crashers but Queen was the unknown entity of the team. “I think you’re right, we need to find out what’s going on in Kritiker and who is loyal to whom.” 

"And that will take Nagi to accomplish." Brad shoved his plate aside. He'd been hungry when it arrived, but somewhere between then and now he'd lost any appetite for the rich meat. 

"Eat your dinner, I'm going to give this to Yohji. He's probably more interested in it than I am." He stood then paused, an odd expression on his face. 

"Erik's had Berger tamper with Mamoru's mind." He shook himself. "that boy is up to something that not even his superiors realize." He turned to Aya, "He's going to try and stage a coup and take over Esset himself." 

Although the news wasn’t great, Aya smiled. “You’re seeing your visions again,” he said, “and not just your own death.” He sobered quickly. “Though I wonder what he’ll try next.” 

Brad nodded absently at the first part of what Aya had said. "He's dangerous, Aya. Very dangerous." He picked up the plate. "I'm going to feed Yohji, I'll be back." 

He wasn't gone long, but when he came back his cock was hard, his face was flushed and there was an amused glitter in his eyes. "Kudoh has forgiven me apparently." 

Aya snorted in amusement and pushed his plate aside, food finished with. “It never takes him long.” 

He was thoughtful for a moment. “We’d better let Nagi loose on the computer before I even think about answering that e-mail.” 

Brad thought about it for a moment. "I agree. The path ahead of us is quite indistinct. And just so you know, I've figured out how to adjust my own talent so yours no longer distorts it." 

He leaned over the back of the couch where Yohji had been not too long ago and kissed Aya, not minding the flavour of the food he'd just eaten. 

Aya returned the kiss for a moment but it was obvious that his mind was only half on the show of affection, working on what Brad had just said and still distracted by the e-mail. When Brad pulled away, however, he did murmur, “I love you.” 

Immediately after he said, “we’re stepping through a minefield and it’s not all of that boy’s making now. Even when he was one of us, Takatori was a formidable opponent.” There was a wealth of pain in his voice as he said that. 

Brad sat there thinking about what Aya had said. He steepled his fingers and sat there tapping them to his lips, his expression thoughtful. 

When he started to speak it was in a soft murmur, meant only for Aya's ears. "Takatori is, unlike the rest of you, susceptible to mental tampering. Erik has already discovered that, Schuldig knew it and chose to play his games with your 'Omi' even then." 

He let his hands drop, "I wonder exactly how he was made into the killer he was trained to be. It's possible that his mind was tampered with even before Schuldig touched him, and it's also possible that is why he's changed so much in the last few years." 

Aya nodded slowly. “That makes a lot of sense,” he said, just as quietly. “Even at his best, it was like living with two different people: the smiling schoolboy and the cold-hearted killer. I always thought he was living in denial although I was never quite sure which side of himself he was trying to deny.” 

“Compared to Ken or Yohji, we were the pragmatists, the ones who did very little soul-searching about what we were, but he took it to lengths that just wouldn’t seem possible in a normal person. I had to virtually shut down my emotions in order to remain sane, he never did. And I’ll never forgive him for the way he used Ken, Zeshin and Nagi.” 

"Nor would I suggest that you do so. But consider a few things. We know nothing of how his training was carried out. Your Persia and Manx raised him as their own, never suspecting he wasn’t the son of Takatori Reiji. And we all know how those men hated one another. We also know who your Mamoru's real father was now. But before that, I'm sure the man never considered the long term cost of brainwashing a child and turning him into a killer. And he probably never considered the side-effects of Stockholm Syndrome either. None of that would have mattered. The ends of course being justification for the means. It's the way that Kritiker treated all you Weiss." 

Aya had a sudden flash of memory. “We do know one thing about his training,” he said slowly. “When we were at the shop a dog got knocked down by a car outside. Ken brought it in and argued that we should take it to the vet. My reaction was that we should find the animal’s owner and let him pay for the vet.” He shrugged. “Aya-chan was still costing me most of my money then. Yohji said we should keep the dog as our own if it survived while Omi… “ A shudder. “Omi tried to kill it. 

“Our various reactions tell anyone with eyes to see volumes about us but ‘gentle’ Omi trying to kill it worried us all. We asked him why he would want to kill the poor animal. 

“He told us that when Persia was training him, he’d been given a puppy. He’d raised it with love and it had grown into a large dog. He didn’t know what had been done to it but one day it attacked him and Persia forced him to kill it to stop its ‘suffering.’ He said he was trying to put our dog out of its pain.” 

He glanced up at Brad. “It was all I ever wanted to know about his training.” 

"None of that really surprises me. He's as mentally damaged as anyone in Esset ever was." Brad replied. 

Brad took the laptop from the red-head and set it aside before he turned so he could rest his head on Aya's thigh. "My head is starting to hurt again. Just let me rest here for a few minutes." 

Aya frowned, wondering if Brad and Schu would ever get over the frequent headaches the vampire telepath had left them with. He stroked Brad's hair gently. 

Brad closed his eyes and sighed. "Keep doing that and I might just have to buy you a Porsche. And not the cheap model you had before either." 

Aya smiled. “I never did like that car. If you really want to buy me something flashy make it a Ferrari.” 

"That's doable," Brad replied. Lying there with his head in Aya's lap felt... well it felt very right. The only thing that could have made it perfect is if they were in bed with Yohji and Kai. 

"When this mess is done with I'm having a bed custom built that we can all be comfortable in." 

There was a chuckle from Aya at that. “That sounds like an excellent plan and will keep us all happy.” 

Kai, at first a perceived rival for Yohji’s affections, was now an indispensable part of all their lives. The hotheadedness and bad temper noted by Kritiker seemed to have vanished leaving a happy and sexy young man behind. Perhaps it was just Kritiker and its ultimatum that had made Kai such an angry young man. It had certainly had that effect on him. 

"Oh yes, happy listening to Yohji and Kai complain that they wind up trapped in the middle or stuck on the edge of the bed which makes them feel unloved." Brad chuckled. "Or you complaining that someone has stolen the covers." 

Of course it was usually Yohji who'd managed to take the blanket and sheet, and half the time Brad's pillow too but the Schwarz leader didn't mind that. He was actually very fond of the blond. 

"Do you love me?" Brad asked as he reached up to caress his lover's beautiful face. 

“I believe I told you so just a little while ago,” Aya said with a slight smirk. “Yes, Brad, I do love you and even more than that, I trust you implicitly.” If the American knew him as well as he claimed to he would realise that trust was never something Aya gave lightly. 

"So you did. Hmm..." Brad gave an appreciative murmur to show Aya that what he was doing felt good. 

Ken and Nagi came in then, happy and laughing after their trip to Copacabana beach. 

The old Aya would have moved but the new model simply stayed put, hand still running gently through Brad’s hair. 

“I borrowed your laptop, Nagi, I hope you don’t mind.” 

Nagi shook his head. “As long as you never let Ken, Farf or Schu loose on it, that’s fine,” he said. He glanced from Brad to Aya and back again. “Is there something you need me to find out?” 

“Hey it's not like I'll ruin anything," Ken complained as he headed for the room that he and Nagi were sharing. He was wet and wanted to get changed. 

"Yes. I want you to see if you can hack into Kritiker again and get any information on Queen, the woman who serves as the mission advisor to the Crasher's team. The littlest Takatori has decided to send them after us and I want to know as much about her, Birman and Manx as possible." 

“I’ll get straight on it. Give me half an hour…an hour tops. I know all the ways into the Kritiker databases already.” 

He picked up the laptop and sat himself in one of the armchairs with it. For a while the only sound in the room was the sound of the keyboard clicking at something approaching the speed of thought. Then Nagi broke the silence with a gasp and glanced at Aya. 

“There’s a confidential report here from Birman to Takatori Saijou. By the looks of things she’s working directly for him now. It states that so far she has been unable to find and execute Manx.” 

He let the keyboard do its stuff for a few more minutes. “Interesting. There seems to be a struggle for power going on between Mamoru and his grandfather. Queen and Crashers have been working less and less for either side and a memo from Rex to Birman states that Queen has not been seen in the office for some considerable time.” 

He glanced up. “Looks like both sides consider Crashers expendable. Whether or not they know it is another question entirely.” 

Brad had come up out of his doze at Nagi's first word, he opened his eyes and looked at the firm underside of Aya's jaw and smiled. His lover was truly beautiful at any angle. 

"It looks as if Kritiker is heading for a complete implosion," Brad remarked. "And we still have the same question: do we let the Crashers near or do we evade them?" 

"I personally don't want anyone connected to Kritiker getting close to us," Ken stated honestly. 

“You don’t know Crashers, Hidaka, I do. They are just as idealistic as we used to be, perhaps more so as they are not specifically a kill team, and they have just as much right to survive as we do.” 

The news about Manx was more problematic. He respected and even liked the woman but they had too many problems of their own to be able to help her. 

“To defeat your enemy you have to think like your enemy,” Nagi murmured. “Mamoru and Rosenkreuz deal in the double-cross, perhaps we should too.” 

"Aya, look that's not it at all. I'm not saying anything about them having a right to live or die, I'm talking about the way the Takatori goes about things. Nagi's right, he and Rosenkruez are masters of the double-cross. My bet is that he's really expecting Crashers to follow orders, try to kill us, and get killed themselves. They're just as expendable as you and Yohji were when he sent Zeshin after you," Ken replied. "And any time he sends someone from Kritiker to bring us in, he's got to know what the end result is going to be: they're the ones that will die. We're freaks remember? He knows the kind of power we have and there is nothing and no one the little bastard can send against us that has a hope of staying alive... unless we allow it." 

Brad smiled. "Finally thinking instead of reacting. Very good, Hidaka," Brad remarked. 

"Thanks daddy Schwarz," Ken replied acidly, but he was smiling.


	8. Chapter 8

The door opened and Farfarello slipped into the room. "Schuldig and I spotted someone following us. I came back here to let you know. He's going to find out what, exactly, the guy wants." 

Brad frowned and sat up. "I haven't seen anything that appeared to be immediate danger. What do you think this guy wanted?" 

Farfarello shrugged. "Dunno. But he was acting really suspicious. Trying to follow us, but not be seen." 

Brad turned to Aya. "Go see what's going on. If it's someone from Crashers already I'm sure you'll recognize them." His frown deepened, "But I didn't see them here yet. Be careful." 

"I'll go with him. I know where Schuldig was going to lead the idiot," Farfarello replied. 

Aya simply nodded and followed Farfarello out of the room. He knew it wouldn’t be any of Crashers. If they were going to turn up it wouldn’t be after sending an e-mail. It would be Yuushi’s whip-sword striking from an alley or one of their nastier little packages disguised as something commonplace. Naru was especially good at the sort of china figurines that tended to litter hotel suites. 

Farfarello took the elevator and then led Aya out of the hotel onto the busy street. It wasn't long before they arrived at a restaurant, but instead of going inside, Farfarello slipped into the nearby alley. 

*Schu, we're here. Do you have him?* 

*I have him. Just not sure what to do with him. Slimy creature that he is.* 

Definitely not Crashers, Aya decided as he slipped into the alley. It was an L-shaped cul-de-sac and in the dead end, out of sight of the street, Schuldig was facing a man. 

The young man facing Schuldig was about Ken's height but with a leaner build. His body tense, as if he was waiting for them to attack him. A pair of sunglasses hid his eyes, but not the sharp line of his nose or the sensual shape of his mouth. He had long black hair that fell in an unruly mass almost to his waist. It caught the light with a dark blue shine that looked natural. 

His clothes weren't much. A tattered pair of jeans, a leather jacket and a faded t-shirt. It was doubtful if any of them would have noticed him in a crowd he was so non-memorable. 

“Let me talk to him,” he said in softly accented English. 

Farfarello looked at Aya. “He says he wants to talk to Crawford about joining up with Schwarz.” 

*Schu, what’s he thinking?* 

*He’s heavily shielded, Aya, even I can’t get through.* 

Aya gazed at the man. “Take off the glasses,” he said. “I like to see the eyes of those I speak to.” 

He studied Aya for a moment then took the glasses off. His eyes were a soft shade of brown flecked with gold. “You're the one that warps time aren't you?” he asked. 

“And you shield yourself,” Aya retorted, “which immediately makes me think you have talent, and are either hiding from your masters or hiding something from us. If it’s the latter you’re dead meat.” 

“If I wanted to be dead I'd just walk in front of a bus and get it over with,” the young man retorted. “Of course I have talent! Only a fool would come to Schwarz looking to join with nothing to put on the table. And unshielding isn't something you want me to do. Not if you value your own mind.” 

Aya remembered the vampire telepath from the so-called airport and shivered. If this was another like that… 

He glanced at Schuldig. *Do either you or Farf know who he is?* 

*Not unless he’s good at both mental and physical disguise and I can’t think of anyone who could do it that well. Farf?”* 

The Berserker was frowning. *No idea.* 

While they spoke silently the young Rosenkruez operative just stood there waiting, patient and unconcerned to all outward appearances. But his palms were wet and his mouth was dry with the fear coiling in his chest. 

These men were part of Schwarz, the most feared team to ever exist in Esset. 

But Esset was long gone and Schwarz had gone rogue. 

“I want to talk to Crawford.” 

Aya turned eyes like iced amethysts on the stranger. “I’m sure you do, the question is why? Do you honestly think we have any use for a double-crossing turncoat?” 

“Well since that's what everyone in Schwarz is, yeah, I thought I might have a chance coming to Crawford for protection. As far as why... I've got nowhere else to go. The rest of my team is dead.” 

“Why you little…” Schuldig began only to be stopped by Aya holding up his hand. 

“If you really believe that then you know nothing about us,” he said coldly. 

*Brad, we have a renegade Essie. But I wouldn’t trust him further than I could throw the Tokyo Tower. He’s asking to speak to you.* 

*Tell him he has to make a more convincing argument if he wants to see me.* Brad told his lover. *I'm not in the habit of picking up strays.* 

“I know you're talking to him, Schuldig. You don't wipe your ass without his permission. So just tell him I was one of the Four Horsemen and see what he says.” 

“Actually I’m the one doing the talking,” Aya said, a faintly amused smirk playing round his mouth. *The Four Horsemen?* he asked Brad. 

*Dangerous but young. He's one of them?* Brad asked. 

"Which one were you? War, famine, pestilence or death?" 

"War. That's what they called me." 

*He says so. Tells me he was called War.* 

*Very dangerous then,* Brad stated. *I'm not sure he's someone I'd be willing to have with us, but having him against us is a big risk too.* 

"Must be one of the newer teams." Schuldig murmured. "Are you any good?" 

The young man shrugged. He looked from Aya to Schuldig, "Do you need a demonstration or will you take my word for it?" 

Aya scoffed. “Your word? Do we look quite that stupid?” He looked the young man up and down, trying to decide whether he was worth keeping or not. “However, one of us has heard of you at least.” 

War just stared at Aya but decided not to comment on the first part of what the red-haired man had said. "That would be Crawford. He helped--" his expression went hard, "acquire me." 

*Do you want to see him? If not we should kill him now.* 

*I'm considering what to do. Stall him, I have to consult the future,* Brad told Aya. 

War stepped closer to Aya, "If you need a demonstration, I can give it to you." 

“Don’t even think about demonstrating on any of us,” Aya said, “unless you want to find yourself in a black hole in about a thousand years time.” 

He closed his eyes, raised his arms and a few heartbeats later the sound of angry shouts, a woman's scream and the sound of a gun being fired rose over the noise of the city in their immediate vicinity. 

And with every beat of the man's heart the sound of conflict spread. 

“Stop it!” Aya commanded. “Those people have done nothing to deserve that.” Well perhaps whoever had fired the gun hadn’t been entirely innocent. 

War's arms dropped and he staggered, going to one knee. His face had paled, and there was a wildness in his eyes. Something beat at the shields of Schuldig's mind hard as hammer-blows, while the same unseen force crashed powerfully against Aya's mental protections. 

Farfarello snarled and stalked toward Aya, his amber eye full of fury. 

And then it was over, the pressure abating and the young man known as War looked up at them. "Do you understand my shields now?" 

“Mein Gott!” Schuldig cast a wild-eyed look at Aya. 

But Aya had problems of his own and had to tap into Nagi’s power to keep Farfarello still until he had calmed down. 

It didn't take long before the bloodlust gripping Farfarello abated. "Dangerous isn't he? Just think, he can turn friends into enemies in the blink of an eye." He turned his hard stare on War. "May as well hold an asp to our breast and call it suicide as to let him join us." 

Aya was inclined to agree but he would wait for Brad’s decision. Part of him could feel pity for the young man, his power enforcing isolation on his mind. 

*Bring him up here. He may prove useful,* Brad instructed. There was a very pleased feeling coming from the Schwarz leader. *I think I know how we can bring Erik's team down.* 

*He makes them kill each other? It seems too easy, Brad.* Aya sent before adding, *okay, bringing him up now.* 

He turned to gaze at the dark haired man. “Crawford will see you,” he said, “so come with us.” His tone was arctic despite the streak of pity he felt. The young man was certainly dangerous and who was to say he wasn’t evil. 

Aya could hear Brad's laughter, *Aya you of all people should realize there is no good or evil, there's just us and them.* 

*And if he’s one of them?* 

*You have to ask?* 

War got to his feet slowly. Too slowly. Farfarello grabbed the young man by the arm and hauled him bodily toward the entrance of the alley. "Come on, Crawford doesn't like to be kept waiting.” 

Five minutes later they were back in the suite and Aya was leaning against the wall by the door. Schuldig and Farfarello had parked War on one of the couches and stood over him. 

Crawford stepped into the room with Yohji right behind him. 

War looked at the pair of men. He knew Crawford on sight, but the blond he'd never seen before. Then again, he'd only known Schuldig and Farfarello by description, not personal experience. 

The oddly coloured Asian man was as much a total unknown as the blond. 

"So give me one good reason to let you live, Ramon," Brad said as he took a seat in a chair. Yohji taking a place right behind him. 

Aya watched as War or Ramon or whoever he was attempted to read them in the way a mundane would, seeking out the danger men and sizing up escape routes. He knew the signs, they’d done it often enough when still Weiss and still, apparently, mundanes. 

"You were the bastard that got me into this mess in the first place," the young man stated. 

"If it hadn't been me then some other recruiter would have come to get you. That isn't a good enough reason." 

War stared at Crawford then nodded in acceptance. "I can help you fight Rosenkreuz. I can turn them against each other." 

Brad shrugged, "What makes you think that is part of my plan? We have the means to just walk away from them, never see them again." 

"But you won't. You want to bring them down the way you brought those old shits down." 

The American smiled coolly, "That was personal." 

"Yeah, personal. And so is your vendetta against Rosenkreuz. Don't even try to pretend otherwise. They've raised a pack of killer kids with the intention of using them to destroy you. And they might be strong enough to do it." 

"Old news. Tell me something we don't know. I'm a precog remember." 

Ramon just stared at Crawford. "Yeah, I remember. That's how you found me," War replied his tone bitter. He sighed. "So even my talent isn't enough of an incentive?" 

"Hardly. And you'd be wise not to try what you're considering. While you might manage to turn us against one another briefly, the resulting manner in which you die will be extremely slow, and very painful." 

Nagi was frowning, Aya noted. *You okay?* 

*Yes. I was just wondering why Brad kept me away from Rosenkreuz yet delivered this guy straight to them.* 

*Think about it, Nagi, would you actually want to live with the constant threat of being turned against your…family? There may be other reasons too.* 

He turned his attention back to the young man in their midst just as Brad mentioned what he might be considering. Neither threats on their side nor promises on his were going to get them anywhere. 

“Why do you want to bring Rosenkreuz down?” he asked. Perhaps if they could trust his motives he might stand a chance of surviving, although somehow his hand crept closer to the shoulder holster he was wearing and the gun inside it. 

*I had any number of reasons. The promise of my own team. Freedom from being monitored every minute of every day. A cessation to the drugs they used to keep me in their control.* Brad glanced at both Nagi and Aya, *I had many reasons.* 

"Isn't hate enough of a motive?" Ramon asked. 

“Hate can be a motive for many things, yes, but it doesn’t follow that because you hate Rosenkreuz we can trust you.” 

To Brad he sent, *Thank you for explaining so much. A lot now makes sense that didn’t before.* 

*You're my lover, but there are a lot of things pertaining to Rosenkreuz that you don't know about. Most of them are things that Schuldig and I don't care to discuss with anyone.* 

Ramon glared at Aya. "I wasn't talking to you." 

"Ah, you've made a mistake there, Ramon. Hasn't it occurred to you that he's the person I sent to meet you and you had to go through him to get to me." 

The younger man shrugged, "Peons always get sent to do the dirty jobs." 

"He's hardly a peon. In fact there's not a single one of us that makes the definition of 'peon'," Farfarello informed Ramon. 

"And it's assumptions like that which will get you killed," Brad added. 

Aya just sighed. This Ramon might be attractive to look at but he was a real pain in the ass as a personality. 

It was Schuldig who vocalised the general consensus of opinion by saying, “You need to adjust your attitude if you want to survive at all.” 

Ramon's shoulders sagged and his head dropped. "I knew it was a mistake to even ask for help." 

"Ahh... now see that's not what you were doing, Ramon. You haven't asked for help, you asked to join my team. That's not the same thing," Brad replied. 

“What sort of help do you want?” Nagi asked. Aya could see the young telekinetic’s hands fisting and flexing a sure sign he was trying to control his power. So he didn’t much like Ramon either. 

"I just didn't want to die." He shuddered and got to his feet. "I'll just go. If they come for me, I'll fight as long as I can." He looked at Brad, "You might want to leave Rio, I have to be able to see the people I'm going to exclude from my zone of effect." 

“What have you got to live for?” Aya asked quietly. “There must be something or death wouldn’t frighten you the way it obviously does.” 

"It doesn't matter," Ramon replied. 

"I know what he wants, Aya. It's something we all understand. It's revenge. They killed his little brother when he didn't learn to control his power fast enough to suit them." 

"And you watched them do it." 

"What do you want me to say. Ramon? That I'm sorry? Why bother with something pointless like that? There was nothing I could have done even if it had mattered to me at the time, which it didn't. It still doesn't matter." 

"No, I guess it wouldn't," Ramon stated as he started for the door but Farfarello was in the way. 

"We can't let you leave, Ramon," Brad informed him. "You must realize that." 

Aya could almost smell the fear coming off the young man and realised he was little more than a scared kid. With reason he had to admit. Ramon had done nothing to endear himself to any of them. 

*Wait, Brad. His coming to you with the past you have is like me going to the Takatori for help. To do that he’s desperate.* 

Brad raised an eyebrow. *Very good, Aya. Yet again I find that my choice of you as my second in command is well founded.* He held his hand out to his lover. 

Ramon was visibly trembling as he sank to his knees in front of Farfarello. "Just make it quick." 

Farfarello raised his single amber eye to Brad and waited for the order. 

Aya took Brad’s hand and turned to look at the little tableau by the door. Whatever happened next would be Brad’s call and he wouldn’t interfere but something about Ramon reminded him of himself when younger. 

The American took Aya off his feet, lifting him and tossing him down on the couch, pinning him there. "Who do you belong to, Aya?" 

From the corner of his eye he could see that Ramon had turned to see what the sound had been, and the young man's dark eyes were wide, staring at the scene of Crawford with the beautiful red-haired man pinned to the couch. 

“You, Kai and Yohji,” Aya answered without hesitation. Then he thought about it and added, “you never needed to hold a gun to my head to make me your dog.” 

"I suppose I didn't did I?" Brad asked as he leaned down and gave Aya a gentle kiss that left Ramon staring. 

Crawford smirked. "And such a beautiful dog too." 

Aya returned the kiss but he wondered what Brad was planning with regard to the young man known as War. He didn’t much like him but he could empathise with his desperation, his lack of all hope. 

*He's terrified, but he came to me for help,* Brad told Aya. *He's no coward, and it's Rosenkruez he hates, not me.* 

"Is that what it takes? Letting you fuck me?" Ramon asked. "So do it and get it over with. I don't care." 

Brad was staring into Aya's eyes, "Yohji, take him to my room. Handcuff him to the bed." 

Yohji's eyes narrowed, but he did as he was told, taking Ramon by the arm and leading the unresisting younger man into the room that Brad had claimed for his own without a single word of protest. 

Fury filled Aya’s eyes, turning the iced lilac a deep purple with the depth of his anger. He pushed Brad off him, quite prepared to send the precog elsewhere in time and space if he didn’t move. 

*Is that was all this talk of love was? To make sure I stayed; to make me your dog? Touch him and you’ll never touch me again.* 

Brad's eyes narrowed. *No. Now shut up and listen to me, and stop acting like a brat, damn it. 

*He was trained in Rosenkruez and domination and submission is the way they teach. It's the way Schu and I were trained. Do you understand what I'm telling you?* He grabbed Aya's upper arm and shoved the red-head toward the bedroom. *And it's not me who's going to fuck him, it's you. He's more scared of you than he is of me.* 

*What?* Aya came to a halt, turned on his heel and backhanded Brad with enough force to send his glasses across the room. *I’m not Rosenkreuz trained and I won’t act as if I am!* 

*Aya… will you listen to me?* Schuldig’s voice in his head was gentle and sad, something he’d never heard from the telepath before and it gave him pause. 

*I’m listening.* 

*You thought you were the damaged ones when you were Weiss but compared to Brad, Farf and myself, you were wholesome and pure. You think you’re capable of cruelty but you could never pin down a frightened child and rape them body and mind while enjoying their screams. It was both done to us and then we were made to do such things. And sexual cruelty was only part of what we endured. 

*Both Brad and I know you won’t actually hurt Ramon but he doesn’t. He thinks you’re like us. He needs to respect you as much as he respects Brad. Do you understand now? It’s all he knows.* 

Aya shot Schuldig a look of intense dislike but he did head towards the bedroom. On the way he sent a tendril of thought to Yohji. *Permission?* 

Crawford wiped the blood from his mouth, his face, even his eyes blank of anything. 

Aya didn't make it to the bedroom door before Brad had him by the arm. He twisted Aya's arm behind his back and shoved him face first into the wall. "You've done this for missions, pretend it's a fucking mission!" he snarled into the other man's ear. 

*And if you ever hit me in front of an enemy again...* he added mentally, *I'll break you the way Schuldig and I were broken.* 

*Brad… He understands now,* Schuldig sent. *Let him get on with it.* 

Aya stood still, waiting for Brad to let him go. He said nothing and his shields were very firmly in place. He felt the ice descend around him again and almost welcomed it. He’d been a fool to ever think about love. He was a killer fighting for survival and he would do what had to be done. 

Crawford started to shake and he took a step away from Aya, face gone pale. "Aya... I... I didn't mean it. I'm..." imploring eyes looked at the red-head, "I'm sorry." 

Aya peeled himself off the wall and continued into the bedroom without even looking at him. He found Ramon spread-eagled on the bed, hands and feet cuffed, and Yohji waiting. 

“Get out, Yohji, unless you want to do this.” His words were cold, empty of any feeling but he did send a sad little mental caress to his lover. 

Instead of leaving, Yohji put his arms around Aya and pulled him close. *If it will spare you some pain, then yes, I'll do it.* 

*No. It’s not you he’s afraid of.* He took a deep breath before gently pushing Yohji away. *I don’t like this but I do understand why it has to be done and why it has to be me that does it. Tell Brad I’m sorry.* 

Then he turned his attention on the young man on the bed his eyes blazing as he realised what had happened. “If you want help you’ve a funny way of asking for it!” 

Out in the living room a muscle at the side of Brad's mouth twitched. For an instant there was terrible pain in his gaze, then it was gone and he crossed the room to retrieve his glasses. Putting them on he went to the couch as if nothing had happened and sat down. 

But there was such a total lack of expression on his face, and the wall around his mind, his emotions had gone up, locking everyone out of his head. 

It was the way he'd been when the Elders still lived. 

Ramon didn't even flinch. "I wanted help, not... not this." He pulled on the cuffs binding his wrists. "Please, you don't have to do this to me." 

Yohji didn't move. *I haven't given you my permission do to this, Aya.* 

Aya turned cold eyes on his lover. *We both know I have no choice.* Then they softened. *So what do you suggest?* 

*Honey gets more flies than vinegar. So why give him vinegar?* Yohji replied silently. 

He sat down on the bed. "So this is how they show you who's boss in Rosenkreuz? Pretty sad, don't you think?" Yohji asked Ramon. 

"Just get it over with!" Ramon grated out. 

"Well see, he's my lover, and I don't want him to fuck you. I'll get jealous if he does." 

Ramon turned his head to look at Yohji. "So he fucks you because you want him too?" 

"That's right." 

"You're stupid. Why want something that hurts?" 

"Rape hurts. Making love is different," Yohji explained. "But either way, he's not going to do it to you. He's mine, and he won't be fucking you, willing to do it or not. 

"Besides, he won't get any pleasure out of it." Yohji looked up at Aya, "And I don't think he can even stay hard to do something so terrible. He doesn't have that sort of cruelty in him." 

Ramon looked at Aya, his eyes full of contempt. "Then why would Crawford want him as his second in command?" 

"Oh, don't get me wrong, Aya's as much a bastard as Crawford is, he's just not much of a rapist. But he wouldn't hesitate to cut you to ribbons with his katana, or send you to a place in time where you could get eaten by some prehistoric monster. He's got a few morals, but no mercy." 

“I could quite easily kill him now,” Aya said coldly, “after what he’s just done.” He leaned over the helpless talent. “You did get Crawford and I at each other’s throats didn’t you? He’s got half a mind to keep you. Personally, I’d let you rot. I might still.” 

He glanced at Yohji. “Prehistoric monster huh? It’s not a bad idea…” 

"What do I have to do to make you understand I came here for help?" Ramon asked. 

"Not turning your powers against us would be a good start," Yohji told him. "I mean it really doesn't endear us to you when you just attacked Crawford and Aya that way." 

“Crawford’s right about one thing, you really do need to learn who’s in charge here. I can assure you it’s not you. I won’t use their methods against you but I warn you now, one step out of line and you’ll be at the mercy of a family of hungry velociraptors quicker than you can draw breath. Do I make myself clear?” 

"Flesh rending dinosaurs. Hungry like sharks, but they run in packs." Yohji wasn't going to bother telling Aya that real velociraptors weren't like the ones in that movie they'd seen years ago. "And I was thinking sabre toothed tiger, maybe a pack of dire wolves, or a cave bear." 

"I get your point," Ramon replied sullenly. 

"Of course, there are easier ways," Yohji remarked as he pulled his gloves out of his pocket and slipped them on. 

Aya frowned at sight of the gloves wondering what his lover had in mind. The gloves were usually followed by the wire in his experience. 

*Don’t kill him.* 

*I won't.* 

Yohji pulled a length of wire out and wrapped it around his hands. "Ever been choked until you pass out?" 

"Yes," Ramon replied. "And I woke up with a dick in my ass." 

"Well then this should be a familiar experience," Yohji replied as he put the wire around Ramon's throat and pulled it just tight enough to cut off the young man's airway. 

*Once he's out we can decide on a plan.* 

Aya watched as Ramon’s struggle for breath gradually ceased then he glanced at Yohji. *You’ve obviously got something in mind. What is it?* 

Yohji smiled. "Let's take him for a time ride." 

Aya thought about that. It would show the young man exactly what he could do without resorting to raping him. “Anywhen in particular?” he asked with the faint trace of a grin. 

"Just somewhere we have time to think out the best way to go about this." 

“Free him then. I’m not taking the bed!” 

The door opened and Brad stepped into the room. "I don't want the two of you going anywhere," he told them. "And if you won't fuck the little bitch into submission, I will." 

Aya’s eyes narrowed. “Fine,” he said coldly. “I mean it’s only a reminder to him that we’re just as depraved as what he’s trying to leave behind. Plus the fact that it won’t work. It’s happened to him too often already.” 

He took a deep breath, trying to get his rage under control. “You won us over without resorting to rape. Why not try some new tricks with him instead of reinforcing his view of what we are.” 

"Aya's right. And at the risk of having my ass beat again, I don't want you fucking anyone but Aya, Kai and me. I'll obey you, I'll be your bitch, I'll even let you beat the hell out of me from time to time if that makes you happy. But I won't stand for you fucking this little shit. You aren't in Rosenkruez anymore, as you like to occasionally point out to us, so you're just going to have to adapt to your new life and learn new ways to teach little brats how to behave. 

"Or were you planning on raping your kids to show them who's boss too?" 

Brad's gaze went from Aya to Yohji. His face was still set in an emotionless mask. "Fine," he bit out the word and turned to leave. "And I didn't rape you or Kudoh because it would have made you hate me. What I wanted was love. Of course that was stupid wasn't it?" he asked sharply and went out, slamming the door behind him. 

Yohji sighed. "Maybe we should have mentioned that this little shit caused that fight between you." 

“Keep him out for a while. I’ll go try to sort out this mess.” He shot the unconscious Ramon a look of acute dislike before opening the door. 

It seemed everyone had found some place else they’d rather be as the room was empty apart from Brad who was sitting on the couch staring into space. 

Aya crossed the room and knelt at his feet before laying his head in his lap and apologising softly. When it had no visible effect he sighed. 

“Ramon engineered all of this, you know that don’t you?” 

"I suspected it might be possible, but I wasn't aware he'd managed such fine control of his ability," Brad replied but he made no effort to touch the younger man or acknowledge his efforts to make up for their quarrel. 

Instead he just lay his head on the back of the couch, spread his legs slightly so that Aya's head fell from his thigh, and closed his eyes. 

Aya rose to his feet before closing his eyes on his pain. Both he and Yohji had hurt Brad by spelling out the truth to him and undoubtedly he’d make them both suffer for it. 

"I won't make the mistake of thinking that either of you love me. I won't make any more mistakes where the two of you are concerned." 

“You think I’d abase myself at your feet if I didn’t love you? Do you really believe you could have punished Yohji if he didn’t love you?” 

Suddenly tired of all this he went round the couch, grabbed a handful of Brad‘s hair and held him still while he kissed him. 

Brad didn't resist the kiss, but the wall protecting his thoughts from Aya stayed firmly in place. 

It was like kissing a statue but Aya didn’t give up. Instead he dropped his own shields so Brad could see for himself the depth of his feelings. If the bastard cared to even look. *Carry on like this and the little prick in the bedroom has won and so has Rosenkreuz.* 

Brad reached up to pull Aya over the back of the couch and into his lap, breaking their kiss. For a few seconds all he did was stare into the man's violet eyes, then he wrapped his arms around Aya and held on to him tightly, face pressed into the man's hair. 

"I love you Aya. More than that, I... just can't envision my life without you or Kudoh to aggravate me." 

Aya knew what it cost Crawford to say things like that so he put his arms around him and simply held him in return. 

The things he was discovering about Rosenkreuz made him all the more determined to bring the whole organisation crashing down in flames. Nobody, talented or not, should have to live through the experiences that Brad, Schu, Farf and the young man in the bedroom had been through. 

Something wet fell on Aya's neck and slid downward as Brad held his lover closer. "I'd rather die than lose you, Aya. I really would." 

“I’m damned hard to lose,” Aya murmured, “so I guess you’re stuck with me.” 

Brad just held his lover tighter. "But I... If I start acting like an asshole, don't slap me it... brings back bad memories and then I act like a bastard." 

“I’m sorry. I was just too angry to even think straight. Tell me how I can make this right because I don’t want to lose you either.” 

"You won't lose me Aya. But please, don't hit me in the face. I don't want to ever hurt you, and today I..." Brad shuddered and started to kiss Aya frantically with a kind of desperation that hinted at fear of what he'd almost done. 

And what he'd nearly done was draw his pistol and shoot the man he loved. 

Aya stroked any part of Brad he could reach under the onslaught of kisses trying to sooth his lover. He wasn’t stupid and, once he’d calmed down he’d realised just how close to death he’d come with that flash of temper. 

It gave him another insight too. Ramon’s attack had not been personal. It had been the last resort of a desperate man. 

“I’m going to offer you some advice,” he said, “which you can take or leave as you will but I’m hoping you’ll take it. We both know that Ramon is too damned useful to kill but if you want to win him over do it the way you did with us. Engage his trust not his hatred. 

“And before you say it, I know its not going to be easy. But the very fact he wants to escape shows that he’s not entirely theirs.” 

"That's why he's not already dead. He came here for help staying out of their hands and because he hates them as much as Schuldig, Farfarello and I do." 

He wiped at his face, trying to hide the tears, and pulled Aya into a more comfortable position in his lap. 

A wan smile was offered to the younger man. "Do you still love me?" 

Before Aya could answer Yohji stuck his head out of the bedroom. "He's waking up, should I choke him into submission again or do you have any ideas what we should do with him?" 

Aya gazed at Brad. “Of course I do,” he said. Then he searched the older man’s face. “What do you suggest?” he asked. 

"I've got a few tranquilizers that I keep as a contingency in case Farfarello acts up. We can drug him for now and work something out." 

Yohji nodded. "I know where they are, I'll give him one. 

"I'm glad to see the two of you have made up." 

Aya relaxed, relieved that Brad had given up on his first idea for now. He snuggled against one of his lovers whilst smiling at the other. “Give him the drugs, Yohji, then let’s decide what we’re going to do with him.” 

"I'd rather drug him and then decide what I'm going to do with the two of you, but we can discuss that when I get back," the blond said and vanished back into the room. 

"I think he has something on his mind, and I don't think it's a card game do you?" Brad asked. 

Aya chuckled. “Knowing Yohji, there’s only one thing on his mind right now. How long will those tranquilisers keep Prince Charming down for?” 

Brad kissed Aya. "Do you want to fuck him or should I?" Before Aya could answer a devilish gleam filled Brad's gaze, "Or we could double team him and fuck him blind." 

Aya nodded, a slight flush mixed with a smile on his face. “That might actually keep him out of too much mischief for a little while,” he said slyly. “Plus he’s hungry and it will take both of us to satisfy him.” 

"You may just be right about that," he agreed, his cock going hard. "Just wait to see what he does when he comes out." 

The bedroom door opened and Yohji walked into the living room in nothing but the skin he'd been born in, and a steel dog collar. He sank to his knees at Brad's feet and bowed his head.


	9. Chapter 9

The erotic sight filled Aya with lust and he felt himself harden in anticipation. “Beautiful,” he murmured appreciating the long graceful lines of Yohji’s body. 

"Yes he is, isn’t he?" Brad eased Aya from his lap and touched Yohji's face, caressing his lover gently, feeling Yohji shiver in response. 

Aya stood up and walked round Yohji running a gentle hand down his blond lover’s back as he went. “So,” he said to Brad, “how do you want to do this?” 

Goosebumps rose on Yohji's skin and he shivered at Aya's touch. 

"So many possibilities," Brad mused as he sat up on the couch. 

Yohji didn't look up, but the two could see he was smiling. His cock was also hard and ready. 

"What do you think, Aya? Should we have him pleasure us without getting what he wants or should we take turns fucking him?" 

Yohji lowered his head, "Please.... masters.... Fuck your pet." 

Brad's gaze widened and he looked up at Aya, "So we're his masters now? Interesting. And here I thought he was wearing the collar just because it looks so pretty around his neck." 

Aya shook his head. “No, for him to be wearing it at all means he wants us to be his masters.” He smiled. “Even if it is just for the rest of the afternoon.” He thought about what he wanted but also about what the blond needed. “Both,” he decided. “Make him wait.” 

Brad tapped his index finger on his chin, his expression thoughtful. "Yes. I like that, but there's no reason we have to wait is there?" he asked. 

He scooted forward on the couch and took a good grip in Yohji's hair before pulling the blond forward. "Suck me," he ordered. 

Yohji reached for the buckle holding Brad's pants and there was no way either man could miss the way his hands shook as he started to undo the buckle. 

Brad raised an eyebrow and met Aya's gaze. He was smirking. 

Aya smiled in response and reached round Yohji to take his cock in his hand, stroking it just enough to bring his lover to full hardness and then letting him go. 

"Has anyone told you that you're a bitch, Aya?" Yohji asked as he freed Brad from his clothes and bent forward to touch the tip of his tongue to the head of the American's big cock. 

Just that little taste had him drooling in anticipation of more. 

“Both of you, quite frequently.” Aya made no apology for it. He’d ceased trying to fight his own instincts and personality some time ago. “But I’m your bitch.” 

What Yohji was doing felt good, but Brad gave Yohji no indication he felt what the blond was doing. 

Brad shook his head. "No, Aya, he's our, bitch. Right now you're a master, keep that in mind." His eyes glittered, lust and amusement shining in them. He winked at Aya. "And he's being very disrespectful of you. Maybe you should punish him." 

Aya thought about that. Up to now, Yohji had been the dominant one in most of their games. It was time for some payback. “We need to build ourselves a properly equipped dungeon,” he remarked as he removed his belt, “when we can finally settle.” 

He doubled the belt up and brought it cracking down on Yohji’s ass. “You want bitch, you’ve got bitch.” 

Yohji gasped, pain tears leaping into his eyes. His ass hurt already from what Brad had done, but when he tried to get up, he found both of his wrists in a grip of iron as Brad held him in place. 

"Damn it Aya, that hurt," he complained. 

"I don't recall telling you to stop," Brad remarked coldly. 

"And I don't recall asking to have my ass beat..." 

Brad's gaze went positively icy. " Yohji, you offered to be a pet and we accepted. You can't back out now." 

"You’re both bastards! I knew it was a mistake to play this game with you!" 

Brad lifted his gaze to Aya. "Yes, I think you're right about that. We do need somewhere we can properly punish him. He's obviously forgotten his earlier lesson." 

"No I haven't," Yohji muttered before he lowered his head and took Brad's cock into his mouth. 

Not just him, Aya was thinking, but kept his thoughts to himself as he brought the belt down on the other ass cheek. 

Yohji gasped, his whole body jerking at the pain tearing through him from his much too tender ass. 

"Don't think about the pain, Yohji. Think about my cock as it thrusts inside you," Brad told the other assassin. 

Angry eyes glared at him through the fall of golden hair and he could clearly hear Yohji's mental reply, *I'd rather think about beating the shit out of both of you.* 

Brad sighed. He'd been so hopeful when he'd seen Yohji in the collar, but he should really have known better. He'd yet to see Yohji truly yield himself up as a pet in any of his visions. 

He was willing to let any of them fuck him, but not accept the subjugation that would really get both of them sexually excited enough to fuck Yohji the way a pet would get fucked. 

Aya frowned and brought the belt down even harder. *I’m tired of you beating the shit out of me, now it’s my turn. So stop your whining.* 

The rest of his thoughts he carefully kept out of the link, but his imagination ran wild with thoughts of what he’d like to do to his lovers if they were really at his mercy. Sometimes that side of his nature worried him but mostly not. He was a killer after all, so what difference did being perverse make? 

The skin split slightly where the belt hit and Yohji jumped, body going tense. 

And this time Yohji couldn't help it. He actually whimpered at the intensity of the pain coming from his ass. He was bleeding, he could feel it. His eyes closed and he took a shuddering breath as tears ran down his face. 

Crawford's reaction to that pained cry was immediate. He let go of Yohji's left wrist and grabbed a handful of hair and started to thrust into the man's mouth, a groan of pleasure slipping from his parted lips. 

"Shhh..." Brad murmured. "Just breathe. We'll make it better later." 

"F... fucking b... bastard..." Yohji choked out. 

Aya ran a cool and soothing hand over the tender flesh of Yohji’s ass, knowing instinctively that pain needed to be tempered with pleasure in order to intensify both. 

Brad pulled Yohji's head up, since Yohji had already stopped the blow job. "If you want pleasure from us, you have to earn it, Yohji. And that means you need to show us how much you want us." 

"Fuck you!" he whispered, but Aya's hand felt good on his tortured skin, so cool and gentle and despite it all his cock was hard as rock. 

Brad sighed and took his own belt off. 

"Oh no! Not a fucking chance. No more. Hell no!" Yohji said and tried to get off the floor before Brad could take a turn beating him. 

"Do we need to get the handcuffs?" Brad asked. 

“No,” Aya said quietly. “Yohji just needs to get over his fear and denial.” He cracked the belt against Yohji’s thighs a few times and then again across his back before leaning over him to whisper in his ear. “Admit it, Yohji, you need this.” He licked the blond’s earlobe before moving away again. 

But Yohji's reply was an effort to shake his head, trying denying Aya's words. The fist in his hair kept him from moving his head very much, and Brad wasn't letting go. 

He didn't want the pain. He kept telling himself that, kept refuting the evidence to the contrary. But he was still so hard, his cock throbbing with the need to be touched, his balls aching. 

"Stubborn," Brad remarked as he pushed Yohji's head down. "Pleasure me, Kudoh. Earn what you want from us." 

"Stop it," Yohji choked out. He could barely breathe. Barely think. 

Brad frowned. "Very stubborn." He pulled Yohji's hair and leaned forward to grip the erection between Yohji's thighs. "But Aya and I can see this, and if you weren't getting some sort of pleasure out of what Aya was doing this wouldn't be hard would it?" The American questioned harshly. "So admit it, Yohji. Admit this is what you want from us." 

"No!" This time Yohji's voice was shaky, full of fear as he tried one last time to deny Crawford's words. 

*He's getting close to accepting this. A little more persuasion should take care of it,* Brad told Aya. 

And Aya beat his lover again, interspersing the crack of the belt with gentle, soothing strokes of his hand over the heated flesh. 

Yohji moaned, body trembling, tears leaking from his eyes. "Please stop," he begged softly. 

"No Yohji. Not this time." Brad stroked sweat dampened hair from his lover's face. 

"Don't make me do this. I..." 

"Shhh..." Brad soothed as he tipped Yohji's head up and kissed him deeply. 

Meanwhile Aya had moved down Yohji's body until he was able to run his tongue across the blond's buttocks, following the tracks of the welts he had raised, before moving again and applying long, lascivious strokes to the crack of his lover’s ass. 

He was almost as afraid as Yohji, terrified of what he was capable of doing to any of his lovers. 

Terrified yet utterly turned on. 

"He's going to come if you keep doing that. Don't waste it, Aya," Brad said as he went back to kissing the blond. Watching Aya belt whip Yohji, seeing the blond's reaction to the pain had left Brad so hard he thought he was going to split. 

But Aya knew what he was doing. Having soothed Yohji with his tongue he took his belt to him yet again, the pain even more intense on wet skin. 

Yohji screamed, Brad's mouth muffling the cry. 

The blond was shaking again, sweat breaking out on his body, face flushed with the pain-- pain that burned through his brain and brought back memories he didn't want to remember. 

This time he knew Aya wouldn't relent until he surrendered, until he admitted that the agony was what he wanted. 

He started to sob, the tears flowing fast down his face. 

He felt Brad kissing the tears away, felt him stroking his shoulders, touching and he didn't even have to look into the man's eyes to see the emotion playing there. Lust. Inferno desire. 

And he knew that he'd see the same kind of look on Aya's face if he turned his head. 

"Aya... Aya..." he moaned his lover's name. 

“Hush, Yohji,” Aya said gently as he brought the belt down yet again eliciting a low moan from Yohji this time. 

Brad slipped off the couch moved Yohji so he was partially supported by the furniture. The blond was trembling, no longer coherent. "I think he's just about ready, Aya." 

Aya nodded and threw the belt aside before going to Yohji’s head, squatting down and kissing the shaking blond passionately. 

“It’s okay,” he soothed before nodding to Brad. Yohji was definitely ready. “Now you get your reward for being so good.” 

Brad slicked himself down with some lube and dropped to his knees behind Yohji. The heat of the blond's ass, the way he jumped when Brad touched him was almost more than the American could take. 

He leaned over Yohji's back and kissed Aya. *Thank you for this,* he whispered into his lover's mind right before he thrust himself into Yohji's waiting ass. 

Yohji gasped at the intrusion, at the pain from his ass as Brad's hips hit the tormented skin, as his hips were gripped in powerful hands. 

Aya smiled at Brad and undid his flies, releasing his cock which was as hard as polished stone and weeping pre-come. He placed it to Yohji’s lips and gave a little grunt of approval when the blond took it in without any fight. 

Yohji sucked Aya's cock, tears dripping into the curls of red-hair at the base. He pushed his wrists into Aya's hands, wanting to be restrained but unable to ask for the missing part that would mean he'd fully submitted to his masters. 

He moaned at the thought. Terrified and thrilled, unable to believe he wanted what they were doing, but not really willing to fight it. 

Brad thrust into the blond hard, seating himself deep and showing Yohji that the pain wasn't over just yet. 

Aya took the offered wrists in one hand, effectively restraining the blond without resorting to cuffs or bonds. He ran a finger over the skin inside Yohji’s wrists in an idle caress before giving himself up to the pleasure the blond was giving him. 

Behind Yohji Brad started to move, thrusting into Yohji fast and hard. Yohji groaned and matched the pace of his mouth on Aya to Brad's. 

Aya leaned back and gasped as Yohji began moving his head at a hell of a pace. Gods but it felt good. He tangled his free hand in the blond hair urging Yohji to go even faster. 

Crawford fought for a semblance of control, but it was hopeless. Watching Aya work on Yohji, hearing the blond's cries and pleas had worked him into a frenzy of lust. 

And when he raised his gaze from the welts on Yohji to see the pleasure flushed face of Aya-- it was too much. 

Groaning Brad came, thrusting deeply into Yohji. 

Aya didn’t hold out for much longer and cried out as he came in Yohji’s mouth feeling immense satisfaction as the blond swallowed willingly. 

Brad was still breathing hard when he pushed Yohji down on the floor and took the blond's cock into his mouth, sucking until Yohji cried out and came, his hips bucking eyes gone glassy from the blend of agony and pleasure turning his mind inside out. 

* * * * * * * 

In a small café just round the corner from the hotel Schuldig groaned suddenly and almost dropped his coffee. “Farf… I think we may have a few problems,” he said to his companion when he could. “Apart from the fact that Yohji, Brad and Aya are unshielded right now, Yohji is highly emotional.” 

Farfarello looked aggrieved. "Can't the three of them find another hobby besides fucking one another blind? Shit even the two of us manage to watch a movie without getting into a clinch every half hour." He got up and tossed some cash down on the table. "We better get back there." 

Blue eyes stared as Schuldig realised something else. *Ramon is coming round. We have no time to lose!* He jumped to his feet, only just remembering in time not to use his telepathic speed in public. It was another sure sign of the state Yohji was in. 

*Run Schuldig. Hell with not freaking the mundanes. You've got to get back there fast,* Farfarello told him. *I'll see if I can locate Aya-chan and the others. We might need their help.* 

*Good idea.* And then it was as if Schuldig had never been there as he moved in a blur of speed too fast for human eye to follow. Seconds later he passed unseen through the hotel foyer and into the elevator. The ride up seemed to take forever but finally he reached their suite. 

Brad was lying on the floor, staring at nothing in a way very familiar to the telepath. His head was on Yohji's thigh, and the blond's eyes were closed, his whole body shaking, tears seeping from under his eyelids. 

Aya was on the couch with his eyes closed and Schuldig could feel the wash of completion from him. He sighed, wondering if they’d taken the game too far this time. 

*Brad?* 

But there was no conscious answer from the precog. Just speed of thought flashes of the future burning through the man's mind so fast they left the telepath reeling from the contact. 

“Shit! Aya, get your ass off the couch and separate these two. Now!” 

Orchid eyes flickered open and Aya eyed Schuldig groggily. Then he giggled. “Hi Schu. Come to join the party?” 

Realising he would get no help from the other redhead, Schuldig pushed Brad and Yohji apart, hissing in sympathy when he saw the state of Yohji’s back, buttocks and thighs. His eyes narrowed in anger. What had the stupid bastards been thinking? 

Yohji whimpered, shivering on the verge of shock from the pain and the drain of Brad's visions. 

Brad blinked slowly and a beatific smile spread across his face. 

*Nagi? Are you anywhere near the hotel?* 

*We’ve just called the lift, Schu. Farf said something was wrong but not what it was.* 

Schuldig breathed a sigh of relief. *I’m not sure how serious the situation might be but I daren’t move Yohji and he needs to be got warm quickly. Has that damned elevator arrived yet?* 

*Yes and we’re on our way up. What’s wrong with Yohji?* 

*He’s had the crap beaten out of him by one of these two imbeciles!* Schuldig’s anger spilled into the link and he felt Nagi wince. *Sorry, Nagi, that wasn’t directed at you.* 

He cut the link and surveyed the scene before him again. The door opened to admit Nagi and Ken. Nagi gasped at the state of Yohji’s body before he blushed at all the nudity. 

Ken just stared, face gone a little pale at the sight of the damage done to Yohji. "If this is Brad and Aya showing their love, god help anyone either of them hates," he muttered. 

*Never mind all that. Get Yohji warm!* 

Brad blinked, the smile widening. "Perfect," he mumbled. "So very perfect." 

The door of the hotel suite opened and Zeshin and Aya-chan came in, both of them breathless from running. "What happened?" the leopard-boy asked. He noticed the state of undress of the men in the living room and spun Aya-chan around. "What the hell is going on now?" 

“You, of all people, should know exactly what Aya’s capable of,” Schuldig spat out, “especially when encouraged.” He turned to gaze at Zeshin and sighed. “If Aya and Brad had done this to each other, then fine but Yohji is a battery and they’ve just overloaded him. Stupid! Stupid! What were they thinking?” 

"Aya-chan you don't need to see this," Zeshin said and ushered her toward the bedroom she was using. "And yeah, I know what Aya is capable of but she sure as hell didn't need to know." 

“Oh stop it, Zen!” Aya-chan was obviously becoming exasperated. “I know exactly what my brother is capable of. I’m not such an innocent not to know.” But he was right that she didn’t need to see it and so she let him lead her away. 

Ken looked at Nagi, "Put him in our room for now. I think they've got that guy in their room." 

He glanced around the room, "Has anyone seen Kai?" 

The door opened on Kai and Farfarello. “I’m here, Ken.” His eyes widened and his brows rose at the sight that met his eyes. Then he frowned. “Nagi, can you get Yohji onto a bed please. He needs healing.” 

Nagi nodded and floated Yohji into the air and towards the room he shared with Ken. Kai followed him in and very deliberately shut the door on the rest of them. 

Schuldig glanced at Ken and Farfarello shrugged and turned his attention back to the two naked men waiting for one or both of them to recover before giving them a piece of his mind. 

Brad blinked, shivered and struggled to sit up, discovering that he wasn't quite in control of his body. There was a roaring lion of a headache trying to take control of his head, and he swallowed uneasily as the taste of bile rose in his throat. 

He clenched his jaw and refused to be sick. 

And that was about the point he noticed all the eyes watching him. 

“Have you finally lost it, Brad?” Schuldig demanded. “What the hell were the two of you thinking?” 

Brad rubbed his temples, fighting the pain behind his eyes. "No, I haven't lost it, Schuldig." 

Aya’s eyes snapped open and he stared at Schuldig before seeing Ken and Farfarello and realising he was stark naked. He made a grab for his pants, leaving Brad to deal with the sudden influx of spectators. 

The precog glanced at Aya then frowned. "Where is Yohji?" 

"In our bedroom," Ken told him. "He should be safe from the two of you there since Nagi's with him." 

Brad glared at the former soccer player. "Shut up, Hidaka. You don't have a fucking clue what we did or why..." 

"No? What do you call beating someone until they look like that? Fun?" 

Crawford gritted his teeth and tried to get up, but his legs didn't want to work yet. His headache was also getting worse courtesy of the boneheaded jock. 

Farfarello put a warning hand on Ken's shoulder and shook his head. *Schuldig, you might want to tell him to shut up before Brad loses it and shoots the idiot.* 

Aya, having climbed back into his pants, glared at Ken. “You always have to interfere in other peoples lives, don’t you Hidaka? You belted me once before when you thought I’d ‘betrayed’ Yohji and now you’re jumping to conclusions again. Just do us all a favour and butt out.” 

Ken shook his head and left the living room, going into the small kitchen and getting himself something to drink. It was pointless for him to say anything to the two older men. They weren't going to learn until they really did something terrible to Yohji but, as Aya pointed out, that was their business. 

*Well, that saves me the job,* Schuldig sent to his lover. *There’s more going on here than meets the eye.* 

*Of course there is. This is Brad, Schuldig. You know everything he does has a reason of some sort. I just fail to see exactly what he might have accomplished by beating the hell out of Kudoh.* He headed for the bedroom where Yohji was. "I'm going to make sure he's okay." 

Before he reached the door it opened and Nagi stepped out. “He’s fine, Farf,” he said quietly. “He’s asking for Aya and Brad.” 

"Go," Brad told Aya as he finally got his legs to cooperate enough to get himself into a chair. 

*He's hurt himself, Schu,* Farfarello commented as he watched Brad struggling just to make his body function. 

*I can see that.* Aloud the telepath said. “You in any fit state to explain what that was all about, Brad? Unlike Ken, I wouldn’t normally ask but you overloaded Yohji and you haven’t done yourself much good either by the looks of things. I don’t believe you do anything without a good reason but you might want to share it with your rather pissed off team.” 

"Later," was the muttered reply as Brad lay his head on the back of the chair and closed his eyes. "Go find something I can take for this headache, Schuldig. Something strong enough to put me out for a few hours." 

Farfarello's face was twisted into something between anger and annoyance. He opened his mouth to say something scathing but got no farther than that. 

"Don't say it, Farfarello. Not if you really want that horse of yours." 

*Farf, go and get him his damned painkillers. I’ll deal with the rest.* 

Schuldig stepped forward and gently eased Brad onto the couch so he was lying down. He covered him with a blanket stripped from his own bed and brushed wayward strands of hair off his face. 

“I’ll wait till later,” he said, “but not too much later.” 

Brad fumbled and wrapped his hand around Schuldig's. "I know how to beat them, Schuldig. I know how to beat the bitch that's controlling them too." 

Cerulean eyes widened. If abusing Yohji had given Brad that much information perhaps it wasn’t too high a price after all. Only time would tell. Schuldig squeezed Brad’s hand in return and allowed himself to consider a future where they no longer had to run or hide. 

* * * * * * * 

Kai looked up from his work on Yohji to frown at Aya. “Did you do this or was it Brad?” 

Aya didn’t grace the question with an answer, instead going straight to Yohji and kneeling by the bed so their faces were level. “Nagi said you wanted to see us.” 

"Where's Brad? Is he okay? I--" Yohji glanced at Kai, "He was pulling energy from me faster than that cross-time jump to Sacramento." 

Aya reached out a hand to stroke Yohji’s hair. “Brad will be okay. He’s suffering a bit from the backwash right now but I think he got what he was looking for.” 

Kai finished healing Yohji and sniffed. “Okay, I’m obviously missing the bigger picture here so I’ll leave you guys to it.” 

Yohji caught the younger man's hand, brought it to his lips and kissed it. "Go take care of Brad, he needs you Kai, more than you know." 

Kai blinked but nodded and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. 

Aya sighed. “Brad and I aren’t too popular right now. We’ve been chewed out by both Schu and Ken already. And I think my sister and Zen are only waiting for the right opportunity to say their piece. You’ve got a lot of friends, Yohji.” 

"Well you know how Ken is, he'd never understand something like this." 

He reached out and caressed Aya's cheek, pulled him closer for a tender kiss. "I love you, Aya. I love you so much." 

“I wasn’t sure if you’d hate me.” Aya returned the kiss and continued to stroke Yohji’s hair. 

Yohji closed his eyes and leaned into Aya's touch. "If I didn't want that, do you think you could have forced me to accept it? I wasn't even handcuffed was I?" He sighed. "You know about my past, about that mission. I... had a lot of emotional scars. You healed them, Aya." 

He took Aya's hands in his and kissed both of them, following it up by kissing Aya's mouth, his lips parting to allow Aya entry if he wanted it. 

And Aya did want it, his tongue darting in to gently dance with Yohji’s. 

*I saw some of Brad's visions, Aya. I can do more than boost a talent, I can also keep someone from using their power.* 

*That would make sense considering one of the first things you did was give Schuldig some peace.* 

Yohji pulled Aya into bed with him continuing their kiss. He held his lover close, relishing the feel of the slender body in his arms, the feel of hard bone and firm muscle, the way Aya fit in his embrace so perfectly. 

Tears filled his eyes, *I love you Aya.* 

For the first time Yohji let Aya see everything that had been done to him when he'd been a helpless captive, the beating, the rape, the humiliation and the terrible disgust as he'd reacted to the pain and degradation by becoming aroused. 

*You've freed me, Aya. You and Brad made me see that there isn't any shame in what I am, or how you've made me feel, and I love both of you.* 

Aya held him close as he accepted the visions without comment, his own remorse dying in the face of Yohji’s mental words. 

*We love you too, Yotan.* 

*Yeah, you'd have to love me or you'd never put up with my shit.* 

Yohji was still kissing Aya. *I'm pretty high maintenance, Aya. You sure you want to keep me?* 

*Oh I think so. Besides, Kai could never handle you on his own.* There was a chuckle and a flood of warmth over the link: Aya’s inner fire, hot enough to burn. 

*You’re mine, Yohji. I might lend you out occasionally but I’ll never give you away.* 

*Good. I... need to belong to you, Aya. I want to be yours forever.* He snuggled closer to the younger man and let Aya feel how safe and secure it made him feel, how loved he felt when he was in Aya's embrace. 

*About Brad...* he started. *He needs you too Aya. More than I think either of us realized, more than I realized until today. You're his world, Aya. More important to him than anyone else, even the rest of Schwarz.* 

*I know, Yohji. I also know that he loves you too. Like me he finds it hard to show it sometimes but he does.* 

As if to give the lie to his words he snuggled almost impossibly closer to Yohji. 

*He's learning. So are you.* 

Yohji curled, protective and loving, wanting to shield Aya while wanting Aya's protection from his own demons. 

It was comforting to have Aya in bed with him, and tired as he was from the drain on his energies, he was quickly asleep. 

Aya waited until his breathing had evened out in deep sleep before extricating himself and leaving the room. They would have to find somewhere to put Ramon but that was the least of his problems right now. Now he had to deal with the whole Crashers issue. 

Unlike Brad he knew Queen would not be a problem for Yohji. Apart from the fact that she was happily involved with Bishop and had been for some years, she simply wasn’t Yohji’s type. 

Crashers had been good to a confused and enraged boy who had been betrayed by his first team and simply wanted to kill to help erase the pain so he was putting his trust in them now. 

Farfarello looked up from the Spanish language magazine he'd been flipping through as Aya entered the living area of their hotel suite. "How's Kudoh?" 

“Healed, happy and asleep.” He wondered if everyone was still pissed at him and Brad but he wasn’t going to ask. The mood would become apparent soon enough. 

"He needs to eat," the Irishman reminded Aya. "And if you're wondering, Nagi moved Brad to his room, and Ramon is being watched by your sister and her attack kitten." 

Aya smiled slightly at the description of Zeshin. “Has anyone eaten?” he asked. “If not can I leave you to organise room service? I need to reply to Crashers.” 

He owed them their freedom from Kritiker. 

"We've eaten. Ken's gone out to cool off. I told him to go swimming until he either drowned or got over himself." Farfarello tossed the magazine on the coffee table and reached for the phone. "I'll order food for Yohji. What about you? Do you want anything? Tea? Coffee? A proper implement of torture?" 

Aya sighed slightly. “Tea and a sandwich will do me thanks. You needn’t order thumbscrews though.” He stopped, thinking about that. “Unless they’re for a Takatori or two.” 

"I know a place in Shinjuku that has great torture implements. We can go by there on our way to visit Mamoru," he replied as he dialled. "But if you'd like some restraints or a riding crop, I found a shop not too far from here that has everything you need to properly train any two footed pet." 

He paused, "Yes I can hold." 

Farfarello winked at Aya. "I'll even buy whatever you like if you let me watch next time." 

Aya raised a brow. “You do still want your horse, don’t you?” 

But the shop did sound interesting and Farfarello’s attitude let him know that emotions had subsided somewhat. 

"Well yes, I'd like to get Cloudy, but you have to admit Yohji is one fine piece of ass," he replied. "No, I've been on hold. Yes I'd like a chicken salad sandwich, a ham on rye-- mustard-- and a steak dinner. Rare. Baked potato, a green salad and two slices of apple pie. Yes. Ice cream? He likes vanilla with pie. Charge it to our room. Yes, green tea, a pot of coffee and a carafe of orange juice." 

Farfarello hung up the phone. "I hope chicken salad is okay. They're out of tuna." 

“Chicken salad is fine.” He glanced up as Schuldig came out of Brad’s room. 

“How is he?” they both said at once. 

“Brad’s getting over the backlash. Yohji?” 

A smile crossed Aya’s features, the softest expression Schuldig had ever seen on his face. “He’s fine.” 

Schuldig exchanged a glance with Farfarello. *Am I right in thinking Yohji enjoyed that?* 

*Yep,* Farfarello replied. *He's a boy who wants to be Brad and Aya's toy. I suspected it when I was fucking him. He was enjoying the little taste of pain I gave him too much not to be a closet pain junkie.* 

*Well they need to get the psi side under control or it will not end well. Brad’s a fucking mess. Mind you, he now knows how to bring the whole Rosenkreuz house of cards tumbling down.* 

*Sounds like Brad planned for their little game to get out of hand, doesn't it?* Farfarello held his arms out to his lover. 

Schuldig walked straight into his lover’s arms and held him close. *Yes, it does rather.* 

Aloud he said, “Brad wanted me to tell you that you can contact the Kritiker people without needing to worry about any Takatori hearing about it, Aya.” 

Aya nodded and opened Nagi’s laptop. 

*How is he really, Schu? He looked like hell.* He nuzzled his lover and sat down, pulling the German into his lap to cuddle him. *I don't like it when he pushes himself like that. I keep thinking one of these days he's going to fry his brain.* 

*He’s got the mother and father of all headaches and is very shaky on his feet. I’d ask Kai to take a look at him if I didn’t think he might just kill him at the moment. Hopefully, when this is over, he can stop pushing himself.* 

*Not hopefully, Schu. He stops or we stop him.* He kissed down the man's throat and nipped him playfully. *And I don't care how mad he gets either. He's got to stop before something awful happens.* 

*Yeah, you’re right.* He was watching Aya tapping away on the computer as he answered Knight’s e-mail. He smiled as the sight of the eartails and long uneven bangs brought back memories. *He looks so cute with his glasses perched on the end of his nose. Maybe he can get through to Brad where we can’t.* 

*Him or Yohji. I don't think they're going to let Brad keep risking himself. They both love him.* He kissed Schu, *He is cute isn't he. So is Yohji.* He turned aggressive with his kiss, *You're more than cute, you're beautiful.* 

Schuldig smiled into the kiss. *So are you, you crazy Celt.* 

Farfarello grinned. "Crazy am I?* He kissed Schuldig deeply. *When this is done, I'm going to let Kai restore my eye. I don't want to have to relearn everything about fighting, but when it's over...* he groped Schuldig, his fingers teasing across the man's crotch. *I want both of my eyes so I can really look at you.* 

*Mmm sounds good to me. Your eye is like liquid gold. Er… shall we take this elsewhere before he starts yelling at us?* 

Farfarello stood up, the German in his arms. *Guess I'll be missing out on my ham sandwich, but that's okay.* 

"We're going to bed Aya. You can handle room service can't you? And the steak and pie is all for Yohji." 

Aya glanced up. “What about Brad?” 

“Out for the count but you could always give him Farf’s ham sandwich.” 

"I know he drugged himself for the pain, but what did he take?" The Irishman frowned, "That's something else that I don't really like, him being that far out of it. He couldn't even tell us if there was any impending danger this time." 

“He told me before he passed out,” Schuldig said soothingly. “No problems in the immediate future, Aya to contact Crashers and Ramon to be left strictly alone. He should come round in three to four hours. I made sure to give him only the lightest dose of that stuff he used to use on you when you got out of hand.” 

He led Farfarello away to their room leaving Aya to compose his e-mail in peace. 

_Yuushi,_

_I want you to know that I’m not a traitor, that I did what I did due to numerous betrayals that I could no longer live with. Literally._

_I can either drop clues about St Janarius or tell you where we are. Either way, you are safe from Schwarz, old and new._

_Ran._


	10. Chapter 10

Ping! 

“You’ve got mail!” 

“Thank you, Naru.” Yuushi hurried over to the computer and read the e-mail. He smiled as he read it. Ran had trusted him enough to tell him where he was. 

“Reichi, we’re going to Rio de Janeiro. He’s either there or Naples judging by the St Janarius clue and Naples is too close to Rosenkreuz.” 

Reichi put aside the book he’d been reading and nodded to Naru. “Get the flights booked.” 

Naru hastened over to the computer. “Oh, and Naru, try not to shock the natives too much!” 

* * * * * * * 

Brad opened his eyes. The pain was gone which was certainly a good thing, but his vision was still very blurry and he fumbled for his glasses, feeling a warm body beside him. 

He smiled and left off groping for his glasses in favour of groping the slender boy beside him, slipping his arms around Kai and pulling him close, his face pressed to the sweet smelling hair. 

From the sounds of things-- or the lack of them-- he knew it was pretty late at night, or early in the morning depending on which way you wanted to look at it. 

The American sighed, content just to hold the younger man for a while and let the chaos in his head sort itself out smiling as he remembered how he'd triggered such intense visions: Yohji's mind and body overloaded worked as a powerful catalyst to his precognitive abilities just as they'd worked to boost Aya's power to send them into the past. 

Kai’s eyes flickered open and he smiled at the embrace he was receiving. Long over his anger with both Brad and Aya, since Yohji had explained that it had all been consensual, he had crawled in next to the pre-cog, knowing that he probably had a blinding headache and wanting to heal it as best he could by his sheer proximity. 

He snuggled against the older man, almost purring at the gentle touches. 

It felt good to hold the smaller man, to feel him pressing close, the two of them sharing a quiet moment. 

Brad stroked the biokinetic gently. "I love you, Kai. I might forget to show it, but I do love you." 

And as a way of trying to prove it, he reached between them and cupped Kai's balls intending to give him some attention without either Aya or Yohji in the room with them. 

Kai’s eyes widened at that admission. He had thought that he was second choice for either Brad or Yohji and a very poor third for Aya but here was Brad telling him he loved him. 

He’d long ago stopped pining for Yohji’s love, knowing that he couldn’t possibly compete with Aya or Brad but now he began to wonder. Was he really part of whatever the three men had between them. 

“I…I…” But he couldn’t say anymore, his heart and throat too full of long denied emotion. So he did the only thing he could to show how he felt and kissed Brad passionately. 

The precog wrapped both arms around the slender man and held him tightly, returning the kiss with as much passion as Kai gave. 

He was breathless when he broke their kiss. "Kai, don't ever think I don't care about you. Never think that. I'm just...." he offered the younger man a slightly wry smile, "well it's hard for me after so many years under the thumb of RK and Esset for me to show anything that I feel." He kissed Kai gently, then added, "But I'm telling you now, I love you." 

“I don’t know what to say.” Kai finally found his voice. “I always thought I was the one you all turned to when the others weren’t around. I’m not beautiful like Aya or clever like Yohji so I’m at a loss. Why would you love me?” 

“You’re not?” Brad sat up and looked at his youngest lover. He touched Kai’s cheek, caressed his lips. “Maybe I need stronger glasses then because you’re every bit as beautiful as Aya and Yohji. And yes, I think Yohji is beautiful too.” The American smirked. “So does Farfarello, apparently.” 

Kai chuckled. “Well his ass at least.” Then he sobered again and gazed up at Brad, his eyes misty with emotion. “I love you too.” 

“Good,” Brad replied and pulled the younger man to him for a gentle kiss. 

Kai’s arms stole round his neck and he returned the kiss in the same manner, none of his usual almost desperation present this time. 

It felt good to Brad, just holding Kai and kissing him. But there were things that felt even better. He broke the kiss, pushed Kai flat on his back and smirked at him. "Do you like surprises?" he asked then moved to take the younger man's cock into his mouth. 

Kai gasped in surprise at this unexpected move, then he moaned in pleasure at the wet warmth surrounding him, the clever tongue working on him. Brad sucked Kai’s erection, tonguing the head, deep throating the hot flesh, enjoying the way the younger man reacted to what he was doing. 

Kai couldn’t help it. His hips came off the bed in an attempt to get even more of that clever mouth. Only Aya or Yohji had ever done this for him before, never Brad. 

Until now. 

The American used one hand to push Kai gently down on the bed while his mouth did wickedly pleasant things to the younger man's cock, the tongue sweeping away traces of pre-come, the tip darting into the tiny slit before sweeping across the head. 

Brad was enjoying how much control he had of the young biokinetic's body, revelling in the way the teen writhed beneath him lost in the pleasure. 

It was fun to do this to Aya and Yohji, but it was very exciting to see Kai helpless in the grip of passion. 

Kai’s head rolled around on the pillow and his breath came in panting gasps as the pleasure spiralled upwards. 

“Brad…I…” His balls were tightening and he was close to coming. 

Crawford slowed, stopped what he was doing and kissed Kai, taking the younger man's hand in his he guided it to his cock which was hard as rock. "In case you have any doubts that I want you," he explained. 

"Get the lube if you want to continue with this." 

Kai didn’t need to be told twice and reached a languid hand into the bedside drawer for the tube. Once he had it he pressed it into Brad’s hand. 

Brad didn't take it though, he stared at Kai, his regard coolly calculating. "Would you like to fuck me, Kai? Just this once so you know you're equal to Aya and Yohji?" 

It was a big step for Brad, letting the more gentle Kai do what he'd allowed the stronger men to do, but he wanted Kai to know he loved him as much as he loved the other two men. 

“I…” Kai took a deep breath. He wanted it, yes, but he didn’t want to disappoint. “Yes,” he whispered. 

Brad turned around, presenting his bare ass to Kai. He wasn't sure the younger man would make him come this way, but he was willing to let him try... just this once while they weren't running for their lives. 

Kai swallowed hard but moved so he could touch the surprisingly soft skin of Brad’s ass cheeks. He gazed along the long back, finally taking in what a beautiful body the American actually had. He ran his hand over the lightly tanned skin, almost as golden as Yohji’s, and felt a rush of pure and heady lust take him over. 

He had the sense to realise that Brad had unerringly chosen the correct position. He didn’t have the physical strength needed to hold the larger mans legs in a jack-knife. 

He sighed softly at his own shortcomings and spread lube on his fingers, almost in a dream. Then he inserted one long finger into that beautiful body. 

Brad held himself still, letting the younger man take his time. Kai knew what to do, he’d just never had a chance to try until now. 

“I won’t break, Kai. Just keep that in mind.” 

“I know.” He inserted a second finger moving both until he found what he was looking for. He was rewarded by a gasp from Brad. 

“Fuck me Kai,” Brad growled and spread his legs a bit wider. “Fuck me the way I know you want to.” 

Kai frowned and slapped Brad’s ass. “If you want me to do this stop trying to top from the bottom!” 

Brad smirked. "Yes master." 

Kai rolled his eyes. Obviously he was not going to be taken seriously… yet. He removed his fingers and coated his aching cock with lube. Then he pressed himself against the tight ring of muscle seeking entry. A gentle buck of his hips and he was in. 

Brad sighed as the younger man's cock slid inward, striking the right spot and giving him the pleasure he wanted. He honestly enjoyed being fucked, it felt good, better than just doing the fucking truth be told. 

"Make it good and you might get another chance in the future." Brad smiled at Kai. "I love to be fucked. Just ask Aya and Yohji." 

He hoped it would be enough incentive for Kai because he'd seen two potential outcomes and a lot would hinge on whether Kai would let himself fulfil his own sexual potential. 

“Sure, I’ll just stop what I’m doing and go and annoy them!” Kai had obviously been taking lessons in sarcasm from Aya. He slapped Brad’s ass again as he seated himself deep inside the man. 

He was tired of being everyone’s uke all the time and he let some of the frustration out, making him want… what? What exactly did he want? He smiled as the answer hit him and he began fucking Brad in earnest. 

Crawford groaned as the pleasure hit him, the stroke of Kai's cock as good as anything Aya could manage. And the slap to his ass had been a nice surprise that added a bit of spice to what Kai was doing. 

"Hmm.. not bad..." Brad remarked as he rocked into the cock inside him. "Almost as good as Aya really. With a little practice, you might actually be better than he is. Maybe." 

Kai’s fingers dug into Brad’s hips. “Who’s competing? I sure as hell ain’t!” He increased his pace just a little. 

Brad moaned. What Kai was doing felt really good, but he wasn't hitting the right place exactly. He spread his legs more and cried out sharply as Kai's cock got the right place in a solid stroke. 

"Good... good... give me more." 

And Kai did, thrusting powerfully into Brad and hitting the little powerhouse of nerve endings every time. Grinning he slapped Brad’s ass once again as the man seemed to like it. 

Brad cried out at the sting of the hand on his ass, and the feel of the cock inside him. 

"More," he demanded. 

Kai was only too happy to oblige both fucking and slapping Brad as best he could which was actually pretty damned well if the groans were anything to go by. 

Brad let himself go, enjoying what Kai was doing every bit as much as he enjoyed it when Aya fucked him, groaning and shuddering at the kiss of the pain as it mingled with the pleasure. 

Finally it all became too much for Kai and he felt his balls draw up as a prelude to orgasm. He stopped slapping Brad and grabbed his hips with both hands trying to hold off until the pre-cog came. 

He let out a little sound of surprised contentment as he realised that Brad would never be second choice again, that he loved him and Aya as much as he loved Yohji. The thought pushed him even closer to the edge. 

Crawford gave a growling moan as his balls tightened. "Just a little... more..." 

And somehow Kai held off on coming, wanting to give Brad as much pleasure as he possibly could. 

"Kai," Brad groaned and shuddered as he came. 

The clenching heat surrounding him tightened even more as every muscle in Brad’s body tightened before relaxing and it was enough to send Kai over the edge. With a small growl Kai collapsed over Brad’s back. 

Brad sighed, content and surprised at how good Kai fucking him had felt. While seeing something in a vision should have left him prepared, he hadn't been prepared for that. 

"Hmm... I may have to let you do that again sometime." 

Kai withdrew gently and lay back down on the bed gazing up at the still-kneeling Brad. He grinned. “I’m happy either way,” he said. 

Brad lay down beside Kai, pulling the much smaller man into his arms. "What you wouldn't want a chance to do that again?" Brad smiled, "I'm crushed. I thought for sure you'd jump at the chance to fuck me again." 

“I would but I’d also jump at the chance to be fucked by you.” He smiled back at Brad. “As long as I get you one way or another.” 

"As soon as we've taken care of Rosenkruez and Brad junior, then we can make some plans for a long and much deserved vacation of fucking ourselves blind." 

Kai chuckled. “Sounds like a great plan. Did Yohji help you to see what you needed to see?” 

"Yes," Brad replied as he pulled Kai closer. "I'd ask you how he is, but I already know." 

“I was really pissed at you and Aya,” Kai admitted, “but Yohji put me straight. He said you’d helped him to overcome something from his past that had been eating away at him for years. And yes, he’s fine.” 

Brad smirked. "Straight? Well you certainly didn't just act straight." He kissed Kai. "In fact you behaved as if you were as gay as Aya." 

He followed that up with another, longer kiss. "I'm glad you aren't mad at us anymore. But it was important to get a few things worked out in Kudoh's mind just to keep him from developing problems later." 

Kai chuckled. “Not that kind of straight! And I am as gay as Aya. I’ve never wanted a girl in my life.” He sobered. “Yohji told me some of what had happened to him. It explained so much, both about the way he is and what Aya and you were trying to achieve.” 

He hung his head, ashamed. “And even if Schuldig was angry, I should have understood that both of you would have acted out of love.” He snuggled against Brad and kissed him in return. 

"Well Schuldig should know me better than that by now," Brad remarked, and yawned. "I've never had any interest in women either for that matter." He sighed, content to stay right where he was for a while longer. 

"Yohji is healing. Given a little time he'll be just fine." Brad laughed softly. "Of course we have all the time in the world thanks to Aya and Aya-chan." 

“Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I think Schuldig has never had any interest in anyone that wasn’t in the original Schwarz before. He seems quite surprised that he actually cares about the rest of us and I think he regards Yohji as a special friend.” 

"This is true. Neither did Farfarello for that matter. I think Yohji and Aya giving the two of them some special favours--" Brad chuckled at that, "went a long way to endearing them to Schu and Farf." 

Kai stretched comfortably. He had three gorgeous men as lovers and a good friend in Zeshin. He got on well with the rest of the… team… no family and life was good. All that was needed now was the taking down of Rosenkreuz and the demise of the Takatori’s. He wasn’t particularly arrogant but, at this moment he found it hard to believe that they could lose. 

* * * * * * * 

Mamoru gripped the phone angrily. “What do you mean, Crashers are gone? Gone where?” 

He listened for a moment his once sweet face darkening into a far more sinister expression. “Very well… Yes I agree… They were sent after Schwarz after all but I would have thought they would have reported in first. No don’t take any action unless any of them turn up here. If they do you know what needs to be done.” 

He cut the connection and put the phone down on his desk. Unlike Honjou not to report in before going off half-cocked. Then again, he had been Aya’s lover during the time the redhead had been with Crashers. If Aya had trusted them enough to let them know his whereabouts all well and good. Crashers would no longer be a problem. 

There was just the little question of his grandfather to deal with then he could let Erik know that all the loose ends in Japan were tied up.


	11. Chapter 11

Aya waited for the flight from Japan with mixed feelings. He wasn’t sure how Crashers would react to his current lifestyle but in the end it didn’t matter what they thought. 

Yohji yawned and offered Aya the second cup of coffee in his hand. "They would pick a flight that got them here in the middle of the night," the blond complained softly. Crawford had insisted he come with Aya in the event of trouble. Knowing their lover the way he did, he doubted he was there because of any threat. No, in that case most of Schwarz would be there as back up. 

He glanced down the concourse and frowned when he spotted Farfarello getting a tea from the same place he'd gotten the coffee. 

"Farf's here. I'd bet Schuldig isn't far away either." 

Aya shrugged. “Brad wasn’t too sure about Crashers intentions towards us. I’d have been more surprised if they hadn’t been here.” He sighed. “Why does it always take longer to get through immigration, passport control, baggage claim and customs than it does to make the damned flight? They touched down nearly an hour ago!” 

"Calm down, Aya. They'll be here when they get here. And Brad you know doesn't trust anyone but Schwarz, so yeah it makes sense that he'd send backup even if he told me he hadn't seen anything drastic happening." 

“What he might have seen is tension between you and Yuushi.” Aya sipped at his coffee. A sudden influx of people marked the end of formalities for the flight from Japan and he stood up. It was, inevitably, Naru’s bright outfit that first caught his eye and he winced. Lime green and orange? Pawn’s dress sense was getting worse. Either that or the youngest member of Crashers was simply colour blind. 

Then he spotted Yuushi and time, while neither standing still nor going backwards, seemed to slow. The tall, elegant blonde had changed very little in the intervening years since he’d left Crashers and he wondered if they would argue as much as they always had in the past. 

“There they are,” he said to Yohji. 

Yohji caught sight of the other blond man. Knowing that this guy was Aya's prior lover did send a twinge of jealousy through him, but he held it in check. That relationship was long over and he was very sure Aya had outgrown his youthful attraction to the other man. 

Although, looking at Aya's expression he wasn't so terribly sure of that. 

He stepped closer to Aya, fighting the urge make sure the other blond knew to keep his hands off by putting an arm around his lover. 

But Aya wouldn't appreciate that so he stopped himself. 

The four men and one woman spotted Aya and made their way over stopping just before reaching Aya and Yohji. They stood staring at each other until Masato grinned. “Friends or foes?” he asked. 

“That rather depends on whether you still take orders from Takatori Mamoru,” Aya said seriously. 

Queen grimaced. “Considering that last time they met I had to stop Yuushi from beating the little shit to a bloody pulp I think we can safely assume we are now expendable. This is the only assignment he’s given us since then.” 

Aya grinned ruefully and the tension seemed to seep out of him. He pulled Yohji forward. “This is Yohji. You know him as Balinese.” 

Yuushi stared at the other blond for a moment before nodding politely. 

Yohji returned the man's nod. "We'll take you to the hotel where we're staying. Brad wants you to rest before we have our meeting. You must be jet lagged after such a long flight " Yohji said to them. 

Reichi smiled. “That is much appreciated, thank you.” 

Aya led the way towards the exit. “We hired a couple of cars so there should be enough room for all your stuff.” 

Farfarello joined the group as they reached where he'd been waiting. "Schuldig says there is no sign of any RK people around so Brad was right. The local team is steering clear of us." 

"That's something at least," Yohji remarked as he took the cookie that Farfarello offered him. He was hungry and had been since Brad put such a strain on his power, and so far he hadn't managed to stop being hungry. 

"The hotel has a great restaurant and they bring almost everything up through room service," Yohji told the Crashers. 

“How the other half live,” Masato said with a grin. 

Reichi was studying Farfarello a little dubiously. The man seemed sane enough at the moment but it was difficult to get over his reputation. 

“We put everything in secure storage, Ran,” Naru was saying, “so Kritiker can’t use any of it. What we think we’ll need is being shipped.” The young man was almost bouncing along the pavement. 

"The Takatori has made a pact with our former masters," Farfarello stated as he spun around, walking backward for a few steps, his eye on a rather attractive young man. "Nice ass, but not nearly as shapely as yours, Kudoh." 

"Thanks, Farf," Yohji replied. "Oh, word to the wise, this place is a serious tourist trap. Avoid shopping for clothes in the hotel if you can help it." 

Naru sniffed. “I doubt if they’d have anything I’d like.” 

Masato chuckled. “We’re still trying to work out exactly where you do your shopping Naru!” 

“The clothes aren’t the problem, it’s the colours.” Yuushi joined in the teasing of his young friend. 

“Just because neither of you two old farts have any sense of fashion…” 

“Old? Did you hear that Yuushi? He called us old!” 

“He’s entitled to his misguided opinions, Masato.” 

“Listen, kid, Yuushi’s twenty-seven and I’m thirty-five.” 

“And I’m just twenty and that still makes you old!” 

Aya turned away to hide his smile. Expendable or not, Crashers were still having the same old arguments. 

Reichi walked beside him, studying him with all the skill of a master spy. The hair hadn’t changed much, although he seemed to be growing it out a little at back. The eyes were still watchful, focused but something fundamental had changed about Ran. 

“You’ve finally found peace,” he said so that nobody else could hear. 

Aya turned his head and smiled at his one-time leader. “Yes,” he said simply. 

They got to the exit of the airport and Farfarello took the lead, heading to where Aya and Schuldig had parked the cars, the German having stayed with them to assure they remained free of tampering. 

"The cars are this way," he told the Crashers. He glanced at the boy in the eye-bleeding colours and smirked. It was going to be hard for all of them not to pick on the kid for the way he dressed. 

"You're about the same age as Nagi, Kai, Zeshin and Ken," Yohji said to Naru. "And none of them are going to understand that riot of colour you're wearing." Yohji cocked his head to one side, "Though I've seen some wild parrots flying around that are almost in your league." 

Farfarello chuckled, "Almost being the key word." 

Naru sighed. “Why am I the only person I know with any sense of style?” 

Schuldig turned to see what all the fuss was about, blinked and pulled his sunglasses down to cover his eyes. *And he’s a spy?* 

*No, that’s Masato and Reichi. He’s the explosives expert.* 

*Mein Gott!* 

*And people think I'm scary,* Farfarello remarked silently, still very amused by the kid's avowed fashion sense. 

*He's an eyeful, that's for sure,* Yohji agreed as he pushed his own sunglasses closer to his eyes. *At least he's cute.* 

*Cute, yes. But I wonder if Zeshin will survive the colour shock. You know how sensitive he can be,* Farfarello said. 

*If Zeshin can succeed in getting him out of the habit of wearing clashing colours, I think he’ll have everyone’s heartfelt thanks.* Aya was amused by the reaction of his current family to the youngest of a group who had almost managed to become his second. 

“No, Naru, you’re the only person you know who has no sense of colour,” Reichi said, “the styles are fine.” 

Naru stopped by Schuldig and scowled at him. 

Yuushi sighed. “Naru, be polite.” 

“Was it polite of him to put his glasses on when he saw me?” 

“That was probably to stop his eyes bleeding. He’s not used to you the way we are.” 

*And about now is when he usually descends into sulking.* Aya informed the others. 

Yohji opened the trunk of the car Aya was driving. "Sorry that all we could get were cars, we tried for an SUV but they're all rented," Yohji remarked. 

"Apparently we arrived at the height of the tourist season," Farfarello added. "And everywhere you go its crowded, which is why we opt for room service. Brad hates being crowded by strangers." 

“Cars will be fine,” Reichi assured them. “There’s no real need for an SUV in a major city.” 

“And you were right. All we need just now is sleep,” Queen added. 

“Well, Naru will argue that he doesn’t,” Masato said with a grin for their youngest. 

"Well I'm sure Ken, Nagi, Zen and Aya-chan can keep him busy if he's not tired. Ken mentioned going swimming this morning," Yohji replied. "That won't be for a while since he's probably asleep right now." 

"Zeshin was awake when we left," Farfarello informed them. "He doesn't sleep much, plus he was keeping an eye on our guest, War." 

“War? Wasn’t that a codename for one of the Rosenkreuz operatives?” Yuushi asked. 

“Yes, he’s the last survivor of his team, apparently. And he’s not someone you want to get on the wrong side of. He can twist your mind so you start fighting your friends, lovers, anyone.” Aya’s tone was harsh. 

"He's powerful, but he can't sustain or control his ability very well," Yohji added. "He got Brad and Aya to the point where they were ready to kill one another. The little bastard has been kept drugged ever since." 

Yuushi frowned. There had been a time not so long past when he’d have put money on Ran and Crawford killing each other on sight. Now they were so close that someone had been drugged to stop them fighting? He glanced at Ran to find he was waiting patiently for them to get themselves into the cars. 

He raised an eyebrow at Ran but all the redhead did was shrug. 

Yohji got into the front seat of the car Aya was driving. "I wonder if Brad would like some of that gourmet coffee they're selling in that shop in the lobby? We've got a coffee maker in the suite," Yohji asked Aya as he got into the car. "Brad's been awfully quiet since that megavision of his." 

He looked at the man known as Knight. "A lot has happened since we defected," he told other man. "For starters, his name is Aya, not Ran." 

“Stop it, Yohji,” Aya said. “Crashers have always called me Ran. It was my name then after all.” 

“Would you prefer us to call you Aya?” Yuushi asked. 

“I’m not bothered either way. Whatever you’re comfortable with.” He started the car, shooting Yohji a warning glare as he did so. 

Yohji put on his most innocent expression and closed the car door. "Some things don't change though," he muttered. 

In the back seat, Yuushi exchanged a glance with Masato who grinned. Aya sighed and pulled away from the airport parking lot. It was going to be a long and trying day. 

Yohji pulled the pack of cigarettes he'd picked up in the hotel store from his pocket, glanced out of the corner of his eye, got one of the smokes from the pack and started to light it. 

Aya reached across, threw the smoke out of the window and confiscated the lighter all without taking his eyes off the road. 

Yohji turned a glare on Aya. "I stopped drinking, I get to smoke damnit." 

“Not in a confined space you don’t. Masato isn’t smoking, why should you? You’ve only got a twenty minute wait till we get back.” 

"Fine, Aya. I'll be a good boy." He stared out of the window. "I think I'm going to kick Brad in the ass. Ever since he tapped me for that vision I'm hungry constantly." 

“You want to try kicking Brad, be my guest. He’ll put you on your ass though and you know it.” 

Yuushi opened his mouth, thought better of it and shut it again. “Very wise,” Masato murmured. “You should know by now that he can argue with three separate people simultaneously and still not lose the thread of any of them.” 

"Yeah, I know it. And the bitch of it all is you can't get the drop on the bastard either," Yohji grumbled. 

“Tell me about it.” Yuushi’s plea was heartfelt. 

“When you idiots have quite finished…” was all the response Aya gave. 

"I wasn't talking about you, Aya, I was talking about Brad. You can't get the drop on him either." 

“Nor was I addressing you, Yohji, even though you are an idiot. As for getting the drop on Brad, I’ve got more sense than to try.” 

Yohji just smiled at Aya, a mischievous sparkle in his jade eyes. "Okay Aya. I'll just keep this in mind the next time you're in the mood to play." 

Aya shook his head. “I don’t try to kick his ass when I’m playing.” 

"Oh now I should have thought of that. I'll have to keep it in mind. But hell, he probably knows every damned thing we'll do or say for the next decade." Yohji chuckled. "You've got to be really slick to pull one over on Brad." 

“That’s true enough.” 

“I must admit hearing you’d joined up with Schwarz came as a bit of a shock,” Yuushi said. “I thought you hated Crawford.” 

“Not since he handed me Reiji Takatori on a plate, no. I can trust him, Yuushi and after other betrayals that means a lot.” 

"We have other reasons too," Yohji added. "Like the fact that the Takatori lied to us and ordered his pet assassin to kill us while we were on a mission." 

“What?” Masato sat bolt upright in the back. He exchanged a look with Yuushi. “You should have hit the little shit even harder, Yuushi.” 

"Ken tried to kill him. Tried being the operative word," Yohji told them. He turned in his seat, "He honestly deserves to die for the things he did to us. We thought he was our friend, that we could trust him. We found out differently." 

“Seemingly, so did we,” Yuushi said, “although we didn’t have the added pain of his being part of our team.” 

“It would be like Naru turning on us,” Masato said slowly. 

“No, Masato, it was worse than that for Ken. He was Omi’s lover,” Aya said. 

"He decided we weren't his friends, we were just expendable freaks. And now he's teaming up with RK in order to bring us down." Yohji yawned. "Damn Schuldig. He's thinking about going to sleep and I'm picking it up." 

“Yeah we picked that much up. That was Saijou’s idea originally. It’s only a matter of time before those two turn on each other. Our bet is on Mamoru getting rid of both the old man and the cousin he’s kept so carefully hidden.” 

"Cousin?" Yohji looked at Aya, "That's a new one on me." 

Aya frowned. “If there was another Takatori brat it would make sense for the old man to groom him carefully and away from other influences.” 

“There is,” Masato said, “Takatori Reiji had a string of mistresses and it stands to reason that at least one of them had a son by him. When the old man started openly interfering in Kritiker and sent us in when Mamoru and a new team of assassins were taking down a Rosenkreuz facility, we started figuring a few things out. You don’t deliberately attempt to kill your only surviving heir. 

“Reichi and I found the young man at Saijou’s Kyoto home, tucked away from the world and ready to emerge like some evil butterfly from its chrysalis when Mamoru is out of the way.” 

“Did you tell Mamoru?” Aya asked. 

“No,” Yuushi said quietly, “he told us a month or two back that he might need us to do a little job for him in Kyoto. We’d already found out the truth and pieced it together from there. Somehow he knows.” 

"That whole family is a twisted mess," Yohji muttered. "There's the hotel." 

Masato stared at the five star edifice. “Wow! How the other half live. I’m impressed.” 

“Bit different to a flower shop, ne?” 

“Very, very different. Or one of Kritiker’s crummy safe houses.” 

Aya shrugged. “The cabin was nice at least.” He pulled into the hotel’s underground parking lot and found a spot close to the elevator up. “They’re expecting you and you have the suite next to ours.” 

"Brad takes care of his own," Yohji agreed as he got out of the car. "I'll help you get checked in. The desk clerk recognizes me on sight. She doesn't want to believe I'm not interested in her ample charms." 

Aya rolled his eyes and shook his head. "It's your own fault. You shouldn't have flirted with her in the first place." 

"I didn't flirt!" Yohji's reply was indignant. "Well... maybe a little." 

Aya popped the trunk for Yuushi and Masato to retrieve their luggage. “Yohji, you can’t help yourself round women. It’s second nature for you to flirt.” He locked the car, handed the keys to Yuushi and linked his arm with Yohji’s as they headed towards the elevator that would take them to the foyer. 

Behind him Yuushi’s eyes widened and he exchanged a look with Masato. Uptight Ran would never have done such a thing. 

Yohji smiled and placed a quick kiss on Aya's mouth. "Love you," he murmured and reached up to smooth Aya's hair from his eyes. 

Aya leaned into the touch as they waited for the elevator. 

Schuldig’s car load had arrived by this time and they all managed to get into the lift together. When they reached the foyer, Aya nudged Yohji. “Go on, Casanova, do your stuff.” He gestured towards the desk and the plump woman standing behind it and beaming at his lover. 

"Yeah, okay." Yohji went over to the desk and put on one of his charming smiles. "Our friends just arrived. Can we get the key cards to their suite?" 

As everyone watched the woman visibly melted into a puddle of giggly inanity as she processed the cards. Yuushi gazed at Aya. “Don’t you mind that?” 

Aya shook his head, an appreciative smirk on his face. “He can’t help himself. It comes naturally to him to make women feel good about themselves and its not like he’s going to do anything about it. He’s much too busy with us.” 

Yuushi frowned. “Us?” 

“Yeah,” was all Aya said. Yuushi would find out the truth sooner or later and he found he didn’t much care what the man thought. 

Yohji returned with the cards, enough of them that everyone in Crashers could have their own, and handed them to Yuushi. "Don't lose them. They cost money if you do." 

He pushed the button that would call the elevator, "She's going to send housekeeping up later so they can bring us clean towels and more coffee for Brad and tea for you. I told her we're out of everything." He slipped his arm around Aya. "She invited me to her place again. She even said you could come along." 

“Oh wonderful, a threesome with a whale. Thanks Yohji but I think I’ll pass. You go if you want.” Aya’s tone was all sweetness and both Masato and Reichi choked back laughter. 

"Whale? Now that's unkind, Aya. Somewhat accurate, but unkind all the same," Yohji replied. "Besides she offered to cook for us. She thinks we're too skinny, can you believe it?" He poked Aya in the ribs. "You feel fine to me." 

“Poke me again and you’ll lose your hand!” 

Yuushi tensed. This was the Ran that he remembered surely. But no. There was a grin on the redhead’s face and his head had come to rest on Yohji’s shoulder. 

“Can you imagine what she’d cook? Ugh!” 

It was Naru’s turn to snicker. 

"She promised Ken and Nagi grilled steak, actually," Farfarello commented and leaned closer to Schuldig. "You aren't the only one of us she flirts with, Kudoh. She's lonely, according to Ken." 

"Really?" Yohji acted as if he were considering the offer. "If we took Brad we might be okay, and I already know she makes good coffee." 

“You and Brad go then,” Aya suggested with a smirk. “I’m sure he’ll love the idea!” 

“If she really is lonely, maybe we should accept the offer of a meal, at least,” Schuldig said. 

Aya thought about that. If she had promised Ken and Nagi steak her motives probably weren’t sexual. “You could be right,” he said slowly before frowning. “We have more important things to think about!” 

"I don't know, the way I've been lately, food is a pretty high priority," Yohji said as the elevator came to a stop at their floor. 

"Penthouse suites, everybody off," Farfarello stated as the door opened. 

"I'd love to get off," Yohji quipped. 

Crashers followed them out of the elevator and stared at the high class surroundings. As Kritiker operatives they were used to the same crumby safe houses as Weiss once were and the opulence of the small lobby amazed them. 

“Yours is the door on the left,” Aya told them. “There’s plenty of room for all of you and room service is always happy to oblige. Get some rest. One of us will come and get you in a few hours and then we can talk.” 

“Ra…Aya, thank you,” Yuushi said. 

“Don’t thank me. Thank Brad Crawford later.” 

"Papa Brad knows how to take care of us, in style," Yohji stated, his pride in their lover very evident in his voice and the smile playing at the corners of his mouth. 

The door of their own suite opened, a pair of gold eyes peering into the hallway from beneath a fall of silvery hair. "Good, you got back just in time. Someone needs to drug our friend. He woke up about an hour ago, and I fed him and put him in the bathroom, but he's starting to become more aware than Crawford wants him to be," Zeshin murmured, keeping his voice low out of respect for the rest of Schwarz who were still sleeping. 

“I’ll deal with it,” Aya said. He turned to Crashers. “I’ll see you all later.” Then he was disappearing into the Schwarz suite. 

Yuushi made as if to go after him then thought better of it and sighed. 

Yohji looked at the other blond. "He's the same, and he's changed a lot since you knew him," he told the other man. "And you might not like those changes. I thought you should know." 

He turned to follow Aya inside. 

“You mean the fact that you’ve joined Schwarz? The changes you speak of seem to be for the better.” Yuushi smiled and leaned against Masato who put his arms around him. “I’m not your rival, Yohji. I let him go when he left Crashers.” 

Yohji shook his head. "No, I mean the fact that Aya, Crawford and I are lovers and it's not me you need to worry about. It's Brad. He's a very possessive son of a bitch, and when he decides something-- or someone-- belongs to him it's no use trying to get away. He won't let you. 

"Keep that in mind." 

Yuushi merely stared at the other blond before chuckling. “Like I said, I… no we… let him go years ago.” 

Yohji paused at the door. "You mistake what I'm telling you. Brad might not let you go now that he's got you." 

The door swung closed behind Yohji. 

Farfarello grinned at the men. "He's right, but I don't think you have much to worry about. Brad didn't mention keeping you." 

“I’m glad to hear it,” Reichi said. “Besides, I doubt that any of us have the talents that might interest him.” 

Farfarello motioned to Schuldig, "Come on, I'm sure they're tired and want to get some rest." He yawned. "Which isn't a bad idea." 

* * * * * * * 

It was nearly lunchtime before Nagi crossed the hall to knock on the door of the suite Crashers had been given. It was opened by a tousled Naru. 

“Brad’s sent for lunch if you’d like to join us,” Nagi said. 

“Sounds good to me. We’ll be right over.” 

Nagi nodded and returned to his own suite. “They’re on their way,” he told Brad. 

Crawford nodded and gave the young man a warm smile. "Good." 

Zeshin leaned close to Aya-chan and purred into her ear, wanting to hear her giggle. 

Yawning, Yohji joined the rest of them at the table, filching a pancake from the platter and eating it without syrup. 

Ken shook his head. "Yohji you've got the table manners of a goat." 

"And the goat's hungry," the blond retorted as he dropped into the chair between Brad and Aya. "Besides I saw you grab two pieces of bacon before the platter was even on the table, so don't complain about my manners." 

Ken grinned. "Wrong. Farf was the first one to take something." 

"That's it, drag me into this," Farfarello muttered. "All I took was..." 

"Three pancakes, a piece of sausage and some scrambled eggs," Ken stated. 

"They weren't for me, they were for that drooling bitch in the bathroom." 

"All right settle down," Brad urged. "Our guests will be here shortly." 

“I think I ought to warn everyone who hasn’t yet seen him that Naru seems to be colour blind,” Aya said as he buttered some toast. “So his outfits tend to be a little on the bright side.” 

There was a knock at the door and after being told it was open, Crashers entered en masse. Today Naru had toned it down a little although he was still resplendent in a lilac cap, yellow and blue striped top and purple cargo pants. 

Nagi and Aya-chan both winced slightly. 

Zeshin stared, eyes wide, lips parted in total shock at the colour combination. 

"Wow, that almost goes together," Farfarello commented. 

Yohji pushed his sunglasses up and smiled as he helped himself to more pancakes. 

"Please have seats and enjoy some breakfast before my swarm of locusts manage to devour it," Brad told the newly arrived Crashers. "And don't get too close to Kudoh, when he gets hungry it's best not to get between him and the food." 

There was a chuckle from Masato and Crashers took seats around the table. 

“I think it’s a contest between Yohji and Ken,” Nagi commented as he watched his lover almost inhale a plate of scrambled eggs. “Difference being Ken doesn’t have quite the need for it that Yohji does.” 

Crashers seemed to come to an unspoken agreement that if they didn’t grab some food now they were going to go hungry as five hands reached for various platters. 

Ken turned to stare at Nagi. "I could say something about being kept up most of the night doing certain things with a certain person, but I won't mention what that might be, or who that might be." 

Yohji poured syrup onto his pancakes. "Sounds familiar somehow," he told Ken. 

Farfarello yawned and scooped some eggs onto his plate. "Yes, it does for some reason." 

Nagi flushed before muttering, “I didn’t twist your arm, Kenken.” 

"No, there was no twisting involved," Ken replied, as he reached for the toast and took a slice. "But there were a lot of aerobic activities." 

"Hn," Yohji grunted. "Be glad you've only got one to give you a work out Ken." 

"Be glad neither of yours is a telekinetic." 

Reichi watched the interplay with great interest. If this new and enlarged Schwarz intended to take on Rosenkreuz they appeared to have the right attitude. He felt someone watching him and glanced up to find Aya gazing at him with a half smile on his face. 

"When we're done we'll try to make Kritiker free of corruption for you," he said. "I know that's what you want." 

Brad turned his gaze on Aya and raised one eyebrow. "Perhaps someone should consult with the leader of this team before any promises are made." 

Brad leaned over and placed a quick kiss on Aya's cheek, "But you're forgiven since I already knew you'd make that promise." 

“Of course you did. I still have more Takatori to deal with after all.” 

Kai was staring down at his half empty plate, Ken’s ‘neither’ ringing in his ears. Brad might love him but he doubted if either of the other two did. 

Yohji picked up a strawberry and held it to Kai's lips. "These are sweet as your kisses, Kai. You should try one." 

Kai glanced up at Yohji and blushed prettily. Perhaps he was wrong after all. 

"You seriously think that wiping them out will stop the corruption?" Yuushi was asking Aya. 

"Yes, especially if either you or Reichi take over as...King. I believe the title of Persia should die out don't you? You'll need a good team of assassins but they're easy enough to find if you find people with enough hatred in their hearts for the injustices done to them. " Aya smiled. "Of course, none of them will be as good as we were." 

"Well, you have to admit, pretty kitten, that most people aren't like you, Kudoh or the precious Kenken," Farfarello said as he contemplated the piece of breakfast steak on his plate. 

Ken choked on the drink of juice he'd just taken. "Precious?" He glanced at Schuldig, "What drugs has he been in?" 

“No drugs, Kenken. You are precious to us especially as you make Nagi happy enough to actually smile occasionally.” 

Brad smiled at Yuushi. "You forget to whom you are speaking, Knight. With Schwarz helping you anything is possible." 

Reichi frowned as he poured some coffee for himself. “We have to ask ourselves what the Schwarz agenda is though. You must admit we have been considering you to be on the side of our enemies for years now.” 

"Then you haven't been paying close attention," Farfarello remarked. He glanced at the food on the table. "This reminds me of breakfast in Sacramento, but with less grease." 

"Yeah, it does," Yohji agreed and helped himself to another pancake. 

"To put it bluntly, the Schwarz agenda has always been to bring the whole of Rosenkreuz and Esset down in ruins," Brad told them. "And to grab something for ourselves." He smiled, the emotion reaching all the way to his eyes. "We've got what we've always wanted," he touched Aya's cheek, "Weiss was always the other half of my team, they just didn't know it." 

Aya rubbed his face against Brad’s hand like a cat would. “Your real enemies are your leaders, not us, and you should know that by now.” 

Schuldig smirked. “But there’s no need to worry. It’ll be our pleasure to take care of them too.” 

“No need to worry. Mamoru will take care of two thirds of the job for us, Schu. Then we’ll finish it.” He stopped rubbing his cheek against Brad’s hand and reached for the tea, smiling at Crashers as he did so. “Basically you’re here because we considered you the part of Kritiker worth saving. Manx might be, Birman isn’t.” 

"Our main concern at this time is to decide what to do regarding your assignment to kill us," Brad commented as he took a bite of the scrambled eggs. 

“You knew about that yet you told us where you were?” Reichi was astonished. 

“Yes,” Aya said. “Was I wrong?” 

“No, you weren’t wrong. We knew as soon as we were given the assignment that we were meant to die trying.” Yuushi’s tone was bitter. 

Naru stared at his bacon before pushing his plate away his appetite gone. 

“The little shit even instructed Queen to come with us. That would be like telling Manx to go on a suicide mission with you when you were Weiss.” Masato was obviously angry about that. 

“If you succeeded in killing some of us all well and good I guess?” Kai sounded resigned. “When you stop and think about it its usual Kritiker modus operandi.” 

"And not so very different from how Rosenkreuz operates either," Farfarello commented. 

"Soon there will be no difference at all. Not if my dear son has anything to say about it. He's all for killing the Takatori and taking charge of Kritiker," Brad told them as he buttered some toast. 

“Your son?” Reichi asked. “Genetic engineering?” 

“Oh yes,” Schuldig said bitterly. “There seem to be two from Brad, two from Farfarello and one from me.” 

"Of course, we have one of mine already," Farfarello said, and turned a smile on Zeshin. "I hope we can get the second one, I'd like to have a matched set." 

"In my case, I think only one of mine may be salvageable," Brad told them. 

Schuldig shrugged. “I guess mine could jump either way.” 

Aya was frowning over his tea. “Which one of yours? I didn’t care for either of them very much.” 

"The girl. I think with some time, she'll come around and realize what Rosen did to them," Brad said. He smiled at Schuldig, "Oh that boy of yours is also partially mine. Do you realize he hates Rosen, very much as you do? He's also going to prove quite useful. His talent is much more powerful than they realize." 

He took a sip of his coffee and sighed. "Unfortunately Erik will never accept me as his father, or someone to respect. He's been deeply brainwashed." 

“Please forgive me if I‘m wrong,” Reichi said, “but wouldn’t it be better to take down those who did the brainwashing?” 

"Well that is our intent. But we'd like to salvage some of our children from the mess," Brad explained. "I'm afraid that there is no salvaging Erik. He has certain.... proclivities that exclude his survival." 

“So you will kill a child, your own flesh and blood?” Yuushi was obviously horrified. 

Aya sighed. He’d almost forgotten that annoying honourable streak that Yuushi had. If it manifested now it was going to be a damned nuisance. 

“Did you ever see The Omen?” Nagi asked in his quiet way. When Yuushi nodded Nagi shrugged. “And were you rooting for Damien to live?” 

“Well no, of course not but that’s just fiction, a movie makers nightmare scenario.” 

“Is it? But then you’ve never come across a Rosenkreuz child have you?” 

"Nagi's right, unfortunately. Erik is too warped to be saved," Brad stated as he pushed his mostly empty plate away. "Incest is the mildest of his perversions." 

“Incest? I thought you said they were children?” 

"Until recently, he was approaching puberty. A bit of time tampering removed that potential for the time being, but he is quite fixated on his younger sister and wouldn't hesitate to use his younger brother, Schuldig's son, as he pleased were it within his ability already." Brad pushed took his glasses off and used a spare napkin to start wiping the lenses off. "Rosenkruez training is... brutal. Children are often raped. Even adults suffer sexually based punishments." He started to clean the second lens. "I was raped numerous times," he admitted. "And sexually..." he looked up at the Crashers, "I'm quite deviant as a result of things done to me as a boy." 

Yuushi shot a horrified look at Aya as the redhead spoke. “At least you have an excuse, Brad. Where did my deviant nature come from?” There was no sign of despair or remorse on Aya’s face, just curiosity. 

"Probably the same place your red hair and unusual power came from," Brad remarked in all seriousness. 

“My Norwegian great-grandfather?” Aya chuckled. “Apparently that’s where my hair was supposed to come from.” 

Yohji eyed his lover, "Norwegian? Really? I never knew." He touched his own blond hair, "No explanation for this at all. None. Not for any of it." 

“The possibility is that there was an albino or European way back in your blood line,” Schuldig said, “and I do mean way back. Probably around the time of Oda Nobunaga. I think he was the first to welcome foreigners to your country before the Tokugawa closed it off again.” 

"Possible I suppose. My father denied it, so did my mother, but who knows?" Yohji belched, "Excuse me. I ate too fast again." 

"Yohji, vacuum cleaners don't suck stuff up as fast as you do," Ken remarked. 

Zeshin couldn't stifle the giggle and he blushed embarrassed by his rude reaction. 

The action and reaction did dispel some of the atmosphere that had built up between the two teams and everyone relaxed again, Naru even going so far as to resume his breakfast. 

“So what do you intend to do with the guy in the bathroom?” Masato asked. 

Brad replaced his glasses. "I was actually thinking you might take him off our hands." He glanced at Naru, slyly and picked up his coffee. "I think you might have what he's really looking for." 

Aya shot him a look. “That’s a bit harsh isn’t it? At least we know how to shield ourselves from his talent.” 

“And even you are keeping him drugged,” Reichi pointed out “so what makes you think we have what he’s looking for?” 

Queen, however, was staring at Naru as if seeing him for the first time and, on a certain level she was. She had Reichi, Yuushi and Masato had each other and that left Naru very much alone. She found herself wondering about his sexuality for the first time in years. Had they been so single-minded as Kritiker? She had to admit that they had. 

She glanced at the new Schwarz. All of them happily partnered, or more, off and working together as one because of it. “I think we should take a look at him, at least.” 

Zeshin got up from the table. "I'll get him," he stated and headed for where they'd been keeping War under wraps. 

"Considering what you may soon be facing, you might just find him to be useful," Brad remarked as he picked up his coffee and took a sip. 

Aya couldn’t argue with that logic so kept quiet, his expression thoughtful. Naru was as old, if not older than Nagi and, as far as he was aware, still a virgin. He frowned to himself, wondering if Pawn was straight. *Schu?* 

There was a mental chuckle from the other redhead. *Quit worrying, Aya, Naru’s looking for the right man not woman.* 

Aya shot the telepath a quick smile of thanks before sipping at his tea. 

Zeshin came out, leading a very groggy Ramon. The teen was shoved onto the couch where he dropped almost boneless from the drug, and sat dull-eyed. 

"He's been on that stuff too much. He can barely walk," Zeshin remarked as he sat down beside Aya-chan and picked up his fork. 

"Safer for everyone that way," Ken remarked as he reached over to wipe some jam off of Nagi's face. Ken smiled and kissed it away instead. 

"Zen's right, the kid does look bad," Yohji commented as he went to check on the former Rosenkruez operative who didn't even react when Yohji touched him, the teen acting as if he was asleep despite the fact his eyes were open. 

Naru took in the long hair and the pretty face and his breath hitched. This was what he’d been looking for. He cast a glance at the other members of his team who were frowning at the drugged teen. 

“Don’t you think you might have overdone it just a little?” Masato asked sardonically. 

Aya looked up at that. “No,” he said. “He’s frightened and because he’s frightened he’s dangerous. He could have you and Yuushi at each others throats in seconds.” 

"His power is subtle but more than deadly enough to have even gotten the pair of us ready to kill one another," Brad commented as he took another sip of his coffee. 

Yuushi was thinking back to when Aya had been Weiss and had fought this man for the right to kill Takatori Reiji and for the return of his sister. Was it so unusual for them to want to kill each other? Aya’s head leaning against Crawford’s shoulder effectively answered that question and he kept quiet. Things had very definitely changed and Ran….no Aya was happier than he’d ever seen him before. 

“So he’s likely to be a viper in our midst?” Reichi was asking. 

"At first he'll be dangerous for you, but I've seen what an asset he will be in a few weeks. For you at any rate. He's too afraid of us so we'd have to keep him drugged. Fear is his worst enemy." Brad put his cup down and slipped an arm around his lover, nuzzling his hair, breathing in his scent. 

Aya was his. The man he'd lusted after for so long was actually his. The thought brought a smile to his face. 

Zeshin held a piece of toast to Ramon's lips. "Eat." 

Dull eyes regarded the Schwarz leopard-boy with little sign of comprehension. 

"Brad's right, he can't stay with us," Yohji agreed. "He won't last long drugged like this." 

Naru jumped up from his seat, his eyes blazing in his indignation. “You’re treating him worse than an animal!” 

“No, kid, we’re not. An animal we’d have put down by now,” Schuldig said mildly. 

But Naru wasn’t listening, going round the table to the couch and squatting down to take Ramon’s hands in his own. “Can you hear me?” 

Ramon blinked, gaze lifting to Naru's face. He blinked again. 

Brad glanced at Aya, gave his lover a wink and murmured, "Bingo," very softly in English. 

Farfarello smirked. 

Aya glared at Brad before turning to watch the little scene on the couch. 

“Hello, I’m Naru.” 

Nagi leant closer to Ken and whispered, “Do you think he’s blinking at the colours?” 

"I think he's trying to decide if he's hallucinating or not," Ken whispered back. 

Ramon reached out and put a hand on Naru's cheek. He blinked. "You're... real?" 

Naru nodded without breaking eye contact. “I’m real,” he said. 

It appeared to be a seminal moment in both young men’s lives and Aya looked away, a slight smile playing around his lips. 

Ramon leaned closer, eyes squinting at Naru. "You're pretty, like a parrot." He touched Naru's shoulder, "Don't let them clip your wings, little bird." 

"Oh brother," Ken muttered under his breath. 

Yohji grinned and stuffed a piece of toast into his mouth to hide the expression. When Brad knew something, he really knew it-- at least lately, since the incident where he'd tapped into Yohji's power and gone deep into the visions. 

The memory of how that came about sent a shudder of lust through the blond, his cock going hard. 

Brad wiped his mouth with the napkin and shoved his chair away from the table. "He belongs to the group of you now, gentlemen and lady," Brad said giving Queen a nod of his head. "Use his abilities wisely." 

“Will he turn on us the way he turned on you?” Reichi asked. 

Aya’s smile grew. “Look at them, Reichi. They’ve both found what they were looking for. While Naru’s a part of your group Ramon will be too.” 

"He's right," Brad added. 

"And Brad isn't wrong about much," Yohji quipped. 

The young man known to Esset and RK as War leaned even closer to Naru, almost falling off the couch in the process. 

Naru moved closer to Ramon in his turn trying to keep the drugged young man on the couch so he didn’t hurt himself. He looked into Ramon’s eyes and leant forward to kiss him. 

Ramon blinked and returned the kiss, his eyes gone wide, startled by the touch of Naru's lips. 

Naru suddenly realised he had a somewhat amused audience and pulled away but kept close to his new….what? ….friend? He hoped it was more. 

A dazed smile curved Ramon's lips. 

Farfarello smirked and held a plate of food out to Naru. "You might want to feed your new pet," he suggested. 

"Ramon isn't a pet, Farf," Zeshin countered. 

Farfarello smiled at the leopard-boy. "That's right, the title of official pet around here is yours isn't it?" 

Zeshin frowned at the man who was genetically his father. "Some pets bite the hands that feed them." 

"And some pets get into lots of trouble too, don't they?" 

Zeshin glared but kept quiet. 

"Yes they do, now shut up Farf," Yohji muttered and kicked the Irishman under the table. Zeshin was still too sensitive about his past-- especially his past with Aya-- to handle teasing well. 

Naru had taken the food and was holding a piece of toast to Ramon’s lips. “Please eat,” he said, “you must be hungry.” 

“I don’t think Naru is looking for a pet,” Nagi said as he leaned against Ken. “Not everyone thinks as you do, Farf.” 

Aya frowned. “Stop arguing,” he muttered. He was wondering if Ramon, coming to himself, was setting them against each other. 

"We were arguing?" Farfarello asked, obviously unaware that he'd been doing it. 

"Close. Now behave yourself," Yohji told him. 

Farf grinned. "That's a good one. Another pet telling me off." 

"Drop it Farf," Brad warned in that slightly too quiet voice that told the Irishman no more of his little game would be tolerated. 

Aya stood up and started clearing the breakfast debris onto the cart ready to be wheeled out into the foyer. He stayed well away from the couch and the two young men there as he worked. 

“I think we’re prepared to help you in any way we can,” Reichi told Brad. “If Kritiker becomes part of Rosenkreuz it will be a terrible day for us. We always used to be on the side of right but now…” 

“Now we don’t know who’s to be trusted and who is marked for death just for political reasons,” Yuushi added with a sigh. 

Brad regarded the Crashers. "You always worked on the side of politics whether you understood it or not. Now that it's become apparent you've had second thoughts." He got up from the table and motioned Yohji to help Aya, the blond getting up to offer his other lover a hand with the mess. 

Zeshin joined them in cleaning up. 

Brad moved toward the office area of the suite taking for granted that the Crashers and the remainder of his own team would follow him. 

"And that terrible day has arrived. Kritiker is now a puppet of a sector of RK, namely my son." He sat down at the desk in the room and waited for the others to find places to sit or stand. 

As usual Farfarello took up a place behind him, bringing Schuldig along by the hand. 

“We thought we were bringing the evil-doers that the law couldn’t touch to justice and, in the early days we were. Yes, it got political when Takatori Shuishi took over as Persia but his brother did need stopping.” Queen sounded tired. “Lately however…” 

“Lately it’s become more blatantly political with the real scum of the earth free to do as they wish,” Yuushi muttered. 

“Because it has become a battleground between Saijou and Mamoru for control,” Reichi said. 

“And they were stupid enough to turn to Rosenkreuz for help.” Aya was in the doorway, one hand in Yohji’s the other arm around Kai. 

Ken dropped into a comfortable chair and pulled Nagi into his lap to save seating space. "Or suffering a touch of terror fuelled madness. Mamoru is probably terrified that we'll come for him, and the old bastard most likely realizes we'll come for him sooner or later." 

"Very true," Yohji agreed. 

They were all in the room now and had arranged themselves around it as comfortably as possible. 

“Mamoru can wait.” Aya’s voice was like daggers of frost. “Rosenkreuz is too dangerous to leave at our backs while we go after that little bastard.” A singularly unpleasant smile crossed his features. “Besides, left to his own devices for a while he’ll probably take out Saijou and his cousin for us.” 

"I concur," Brad said as he regarded everyone. "Kritiker can sort itself out for now. Our real cause for concern is Rosenkreuz and, to some extent, my son." 

“What do you think your son is planning?” Reichi asked. “I mean both you and R…Aya seem more concerned with them than what is happening in Japan.” 

"Because they're more dangerous than Kritiker," Farfarello stated. "Rosenkreuz and those kids of ours pose much more danger than anything Kritiker could ever come up with." He grinned. "Well except Weiss." 

“We didn’t do that well against you,” Aya said fairly. “You could have killed us several times over.” He smirked at the Irishman. “Though I don’t think you could now.” He turned to Reichi. “We think they’re planning our imminent demise.” 

"Sure we could have," Farfarello agreed. "But for mundanes you were all damned good," he reached over and caressed Yohji's thigh. "Still are for that matter." 

A faint tinge of colour rose on Yohji's face, but he winked at Farfarello. "Later baby, you're going to scare our guests." 

"If they didn't run screaming from the group of you at the airport, I'm sure they're strong enough to handle anything," Ken quipped as he pulled Nagi closer. 

"Imminent and potentially brutal," Brad remarked, steering the conversation back to the subject at hand, namely Rosenkruez. "But ultimately doomed to failure as I know what they are planning." 

“We know about your gift, of course, so I’m assuming that you know how to counter them,” Queen said with a slight smile for the antics of the new Schwarz. 

“Boot was on the other foot,” Schuldig told Ken. “We nearly ran screaming from Naru’s er… fashion statement.” 

Ken chuckled. 

"Sure, you can laugh, but I've only got one eye," Farfarello commented, "and I nearly went blind." 

"Yes," Brad said as he addressed Queen's remark. "But to make it go smoothly, and with the fewest potential difficulties, we'll need a little assistance from your team." 

“What assistance do you need?” Reichi asked. “Obviously we are prepared to help or we wouldn’t be here.” 

Brad smiled. "What we need is a distraction, and Aya tells me you excel at those kinds of things." 

“We certainly know how to make some noise,” Reichi said with an answering grin. “What sort of distraction are you looking for?” 

"In order to pull as many of the RK operatives and security people away, it needs to be something on an order of magnitude to either a full scale assault or a major explosion and accompanying fire," Brad stated as he watched the Crashers. 

Naru almost bounced up and down in his excitement. “Does that mean I can make a really big bang for once?” 

“It certainly looks that way,” Reichi told him though his eyes were on Brad. “What are we going to be blowing up?” 

"Anything your heart desires but the main building. That's where we'll be taking care of our progeny," Brad told Reichi. 

“What’s nearby that’s of value to them yet is unoccupied?” Yuushi asked. “And can we get hold of floor plans?” 

“Floor plans are no problem at all,” Nagi told him. “Just decide on a building and I’ll get you floor plans, structural reports, material stress details and the weather report!” 

Naru grinned across at him. “I’m beginning to really like this guy!” 

"And don't forget who you'll be attacking. If you kill anyone they won't be mourned as a loss to humanity," Brad reminded them. 

“What about the school, Brad? Are we going to leave those talents to suffer the way we did?” Schuldig did not look happy at that thought. 

"I'll be making my decision regarding the students of the school when we reach the point where a decision needs to be made," the precog replied, as he reached out to the German's mind. *I don't want to discuss that in front of them, Schu.* 

*Sorry, Vater, wasn’t thinking.* 

“You’d probably be best suited for that having experienced Rosenkreuz’ methods of ‘schooling’,” Queen said. 

“So what buildings are there?” Masato asked. 

"The school, two dorms, a training facility, three labs and the main house," Brad told them. "There are also several other buildings, garages and a warehouse for materials." He turned his gaze to Nagi. "If you'd please get a map for us, Nagi, it might help them plan the operation." 

Nagi floated his laptop from the desk to just above his knees. His arms stayed firmly around Ken but the keys were depressing as if someone were typing at great speed. A state of the art printer in the corner churned out several large sheets of plans and maps which floated across the room to land on the table in the centre. The laptop returned to the desk. “Okay, we have floor plans of all floors, a map of the area showing the quieter ways in and the specifications such as thickness of walls, weak points and materials used in construction. 

“As you can see, it’s built on top of a mountain, and the buildings surround a large central courtyard. On the south side is the school and its basement dungeons. On the west is the living quarters for those who are fully indoctrinated plus the dorms for the school. The north is where the main entrance is situated and is heavily guarded and the east side houses the labs, research facilities, storerooms and armoury.” 

“The hang gliders might be useful,” Masato commented when Nagi had finished his quick description of the layout. 

Yohji nodded in agreement. "You'll just need to start at a point higher than the school compound." He turned to Nagi. "Is there somewhere like that?" 

“A couple of the surrounding peaks are higher,” Schuldig said. “And in that terrain I would think the thermals would be good.” 

Yuushi nodded. “Yes they should be. The layout is useful too as it means we blow up the research, lab and storage facilities without harming anyone that it might be worth keeping alive.” 

"Adults of any sort you see have to die," Farfarello remarked. "They are the dogs of RK, and even more than those of us who served the Elders they are damaged." 

"Those in charge must be killed so they cannot recreate Rosenkreuz. They are beyond redemption as are a few of the older students," Brad added. 

Naru turned to Ramon. “Do you agree with that?” he asked. 

The young man raised drug dulled eyes to Naru. Blinked, nodded slowly. "He's right. They have to die or they will just rebuild somewhere else." 

“Okay,” Masato said slowly. “I think we can create a big enough diversion for you, especially if they have volatile chemicals in either the labs or the storerooms. Anyone in that part of the building will be toast.” 

"There are all sorts of volatile chemicals in the labs," Brad told them. "But there are a few things I'm going to warn you about. There is a pyrokinetic who will be able to set your gliders on fire if he's given the chance. Also, the security team carries rifles and they are all marksmen. You'll have to watch out for them too." 

“A night assault with dark gliders should help against the marksmen,” Reichi said. “What really worries me though is another like yourself knowing in advance when we’re coming.” 

"Eric, my son is a very strong precognitive so yes, it might be an issue." Brad looked to Aya, "Any ideas?" 

“What was it you said about creeping up on him from behind? If we can somehow mess with time so he can’t see us coming… I’m not sure if that’s possible but it’s worth a try.” 

"That's the only way this can be accomplished," Brad stated. "We have to make sure he can't see what we're doing. I know he's not seeing us now because he's too distracted." Brad smiled coldly. "He's trying to come to grips with his current age." 

Aya chuckled. “At least that mess achieved something other than the return of my eartails! I think I can manage to take us back just enough to confuse the little shit.” 

"Yohji will boost you that way you can take all of us without tiring yourself," Brad explained. He smirked. "And I've always liked you with eartails. You look so cute." 

Yohji covered the smile that curled his mouth at Brad's teasing words to Aya. "I'll bring some candy bars." 

Aya glared at Brad. “Don’t worry too much, Yohji. I won’t need too much energy to take us back just a few minutes.” 

Ramon was still staring at Naru. "Are you going to kill me?" 

“Kill you? Good grief no! In fact…” He glanced up at Brad. “If you want them confused, couldn’t Ramon help to do it?” 

"He can't accurately target his power," Brad told the teen. "So for our purposes in this venture he won't be very helpful." 

Farfarello grinned. "Oh I don't know about that. If he was near the dorms he could keep a lot of kids busy arguing." 

“Oh, that’s a pity,” Naru said. “If we could get some of the inmates fighting amongst themselves it would add to the confusion.” He smiled at Ramon and squeezed his hand comfortingly. 

Brad's expression turned thoughtful. "What do you think, Aya? Can you get him close to the dorms with a time shift, get the kids quarrelling and get out of there?" 

Aya nodded. “If I’m just taking him, easily. I’ll only need Yohji’s help for the main jump.” 

Yohji nodded. 

Ken glanced around at everyone. "So what about those bastard kids of yours, Crawford. What do we do with them if we find them?" 

"Try to save them if we can. Except Eric. He, I'm afraid, cannot and should not be saved."


	12. Chapter 12

It didn’t take Crashers long to make their preparations and, with Naru around, Ramon was as good as gold so there were no more than the usual number of arguments and teasing. 

Two days later they were all in a hotel in France. Not so close as to cause a ripple at the Schloss but close enough to make the time travel easier. 

It was decided that Aya and Ramon would go in first so that the fighting students would be a diversion from the approach of Crashers. Then he would come back for the rest of them according to the plan.

Before he went with Ramon he hugged Yohji, Kai and Brad very close but said nothing. Then his eyes narrowed and he was in full mission mode. Abyssinian the killer was back.

Yohji stopped him, pressed his lips to the red-head's mouth in a passionate kiss, then he spun his lover around into Brad's waiting arms.

Brad kissed him with harsh brutality, bruising Aya's lips. "Get hurt and I'll never forgive you," the American warned.

He was passed on to Kai who also kissed him with the same hunger as their other lovers. “Take care of yourself.”

“This is beginning to feel like a game of pass the parcel,” Aya said scathingly but his face was flushed and his eyes, although steady were full of warmth. “Come on, Ramon, you’ve got some kids to get fighting.”

"Pass the fucktoy, more likely," Yohji commented archly.

Brad chuckled. "Good one, Kudoh."

Ramon looked up at the taller man. "How are we going to get there?" He'd been drugged so much lately he was still having some difficulty figuring out how the man planned to get him to the Schloss.

Aya was surprisingly patient with him. “Just take hold of my hands and close your eyes. How much time, Brad? About an hour?”

Ramon did as he was told.

"Thirty minutes. You can always tweak our time if you need to," Oracle replied.

Aya nodded and concentrated. There was the usual disorientation that he experienced whenever he moved through time but it wasn’t as noticeable as it had been in their bigger jumps.

They were standing a little distance away from what would have been a fairy tale castle if it hadn’t been surrounded with electrified barbed wire and guards with Dobermans. Aya suddenly had a thought.

“As well as the kids, can you get the guard dogs scrapping?”

"I think so," Ramon said. "Am I supposed to wait or start now?"

“Do it now. Then we go back and you wait at the hotel for Naru to get back.”

Ramon nodded and let his power free.

The dogs went wild, attacking their handlers. Moments later screaming and shouting could be heard and a fire broke out in the student's dormitory.

“Perfect,” Aya murmured and actually smiled. “Okay. Grab my hands again.” 

Seconds later they were back in the hotel suite. “Mayhem,” Aya reported with a grin.

"Very good," Brad said. "I believe Crashers are next."

Looking a little uncomfortable, due to having watched Aya and Ramon disappear in front of their eyes, Crashers stepped forward. Queen was staying with Ramon and Aya-chan so Aya just had the four men, four portable hang gliders and quite a lot of explosives to transport through time and space. 

“Form a circle round your equipment and link hands. Yohji are you ready?”

The blond nodded and took Aya's hand, swallowing down the mouthful of candy he'd been chewing. "Let's do it."

Once they’d formed the circle he bent time and space once more. This time they were on an adjacent peak overlooking the castle. Even from this distance they could see it was a hive of frantic activity.

“Okay, good luck,” Aya said.

Yuushi blinked then gazed around him. “One thing’s for certain, you’re not Ran anymore.”

“No. And never can be again. We’ll meet up with you later.” Then he had grabbed Yohji’s hand and returned them both to the hotel.

Yohji pulled Aya close the instant they arrived back at the hotel. He kissed Aya then let him go.

"Okay, let's get moving," Crawford told the rest of Schwarz.

They formed the circle quickly, only carrying their weapons and their power. Aya moved them to just outside the castle.

Brad stalked toward the Schloss as the first explosion rocked the compound.

Yohji pulled a length of wire and followed behind the American, while Ken and Nagi headed off into the darkness.

Schwarz fanned out, watching for any threats. There were none, the area around the perimeter covered with blood and dead and dying dogs and their erstwhile handlers. Ramon had done his work well. 

A second explosion almost obliterated their eardrums with its blast and Schuldig smirked at the sight of people running aimlessly around the courtyard or trying to put out the fires that had sprung up in the wake of the blasts. Payback was sweet.

* * * * * * * 

Erik came up out of bed with his mouth twisted into a snarl. He poked Lizette and kicked at Alec lying on the floor. “That bastard found a way to attack us!” he shouted to his siblings as he reached for his clothing.

An explosion cracked the glass of the window and sent Alec scrambling after his own garments as Lizette rubbed her eyes. “Is it them?” she asked.

“Who the fuck do you think it is!” Erik shouted at his sister. “That bastard father of ours, and his bitches!”

The door to his bedroom flew open, the two white haired boys framed in a doorway that was backlit by distant flames. “The place is burning,” the older boy told them.

“I know! Where are the others?” Erik ordered as he pulled his shoes on.

“Don't know. Last time I saw them they were heading down to the training facility with the bitch,” the younger amber eyed boy told him.

“Alec, call for them.”

*Berger!* Alec called mentally.

*Was?* Berger’s mental tone was both panicked and belligerent. *Aww do the babies suddenly realise how weak they really are and want some adults to look after them? Just stay quiet and where you are. We’ll come and get you when we’ve dealt with this mess.*

“He's being nasty, Erik,” Alec reported to his brother. “He doesn't seem to understand the situation.”

Erik's dark eyes narrowed. “Let me speak to him through you.”

Alec linked to his brother's mind and let him communicate with Berger.

*Listen to me you arrogant fool. If you try to face anyone from Schwarz alone you're going to die! Do you understand me? Now get you and the rest of your worthless team up here now!* Erik ordered.

*Schwarz? Don’t be ridiculous. You’d have seen them coming seeing as you’re so much better than your father! It’s just a simple riot in the dorms that has led to something explosive going up in the labs. Nothing to worry about.* 

*You fool, it is them! They've manipulated time to gain an edge!* Erik retorted as he and his own team headed out of his room. The building was on fire, the far corridor toward the room where they'd met Berger and his team a mass of flames. *The entire schloss is on fire!*

*Yes because the students set fire to it! You’re so fucking paranoid!*

*Shithead! Fine, ignore me and die! I told mother you would be useless and I see she was wrong and I was right!*

Erik broke the link and motioned his team to move faster down the hallway. “We have to get out of here, follow me!” he ordered and headed for the nearest exit from the burning building.

Berger grimaced as the link was cut so abruptly. “Little bastard,” he muttered. “Geisl go and see if you can control that damned pyro. If you can’t kill the little shit.” He glanced at Layla who was giggling insanely at the carnage all around her. “If they won’t go back to their beds squash them like flies, meine liebe.” 

She stopped giggling and gazed at him, her excitement growing. “Can I really kill them?”

He nodded and watched in some amusement as she started throwing startled rioters around like so much straw in the wind.

Yohji stopped Schuldig and Farfarello from continuing down the hallway. He tipped his head to one side and listened. Over the crackling of the fire he could hear distant screaming, and loud, totally insane laughter.

"Do you hear that?" the blond asked. "Kids screaming and a woman laughing."

Farfarello nodded. "I hear it too."

Schuldig’s blue eyes narrowed. “Layla,” he muttered. “It’ll take Nagi to deal with her. However, wherever she is, Berger is never far away.” A cruel smirk twisted the German telepath’s features, the first of its kind that Yohji had seen since Weiss had joined Schwarz. “That bastard gave me hell as a child,” he said by way of explanation. “I want his death so much I can taste it.”

"Well let's see what we can do about that," Yohji remarked.

Farfarello grinned and pulled one of his knives, "Yes, let's," he agreed.

They moved forward again, more carefully this time, and were soon seeing the crumpled and broken bodies of children some as young as five or six. Schuldig’s smirk disappeared to be replaced by narrow-eyed hatred. 

A stray shaft of moonlight on long green hair marked the position of their quarry. As if sensing their presence he turned with a snarl only to stop stock still when he saw who it was. Then he turned tail and ran for his life.

Schuldig laid a hand on Yohji’s arm. “Lend me some strength, bitte.” 

Yohji fed his power to Schuldig as Farfarello bolted after the green haired telepath, his 'YAIYAIYAIYAI!" echoing over the roar of the flames.

Schuldig gathered his power and aimed it like an arrow from a crossbow, latching onto the other telepath’s mind and holding fast, pinning him to the spot. He rather hoped Farfarello took his time and played with the bastard for a while.

The Irishman caught up with the RK telepath, his mouth twisted into a wide grin, eye glittering with a manic gleam, the fire painting him in a demonic light.

"Hello Berger," he murmured to the telepath. "Does it please you to know you'll be the first to die?" Farfarello's blade flashed, catching the firelight, red droplets spattering the floor, a shallow cut across the man's cheek.

Schuldig caught up with his lover, smirk firmly back in place. “I’m going to enjoy watching you die slowly and painfully, the way you’ve killed so many others,” he said. 

Berger couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. All he could do was whimper, a low keening ululation that was horrible to hear.

“But do you know what I’m going to enjoy even more? Making your brain stimulate your nerve endings so it enhances the pain, twisting your mind like a piece of cloth until you don’t know which way is up. You know the sort of things. You did them to me often enough!”

Yohji caught up with the lovers, his gaze taking in the man who'd been the devil of Schuldig's childhood. He didn't know everything the man might have done to Schu, but he knew anything the pair of men did could never make up for the horrors Schuldig had endured at Berger's hands.

"We don't have a lot of time, this place is going to come down around our ears," Yohji warned.

Farfarello touched the tip of his knife to Berger's chest, cut through his clothing, the grin unwavering. "I'm just going to carve him up enough so he can't run, can't move. When we're done he's going to be left here to burn to death. I think that's fitting."

Schuldig nodded as he worked on the other telepath’s mind, forcing it to send the messages that sent adrenaline coursing through his body and the hormones that would stimulate his nerves. “I agree, Farf, very fitting.”

While Farfarello went to work on the telepath, severing tendons and finding nerve clusters to exploit, Yohji kept watch, making sure no one came up on them.

* * *

Ken glanced up at the fire burning overhead. "I don't like this Nagi. The whole place could come down on us," he warned.

Nagi smiled gently at his lover. “No Ken, it won’t. Most of this part is made of stone and stone doesn’t burn. The smile turned into a frown. “Though I think Farf, Yohji and Schu were heading towards the wooden part.” The frown eased. “But then again, Brad would have said if he saw any of us get injured.”

Screams were heard from up ahead and they rounded a corner to find Layla spinning a little girl round and round in the air prior to slamming the defenceless child‘s body into the stone wall. Several smashed and broken bodies bore testament to this being a favourite form of amusement for her.

Ken stared for a split second. Then he was moving running toward the woman with the intention of tearing her apart. She hurled the child toward the wall. "Nagi! Stop her!"

The child came to a halt inches from the wall before being gently lowered to the floor and Nagi glowered at the other telekinetic. “Pick on someone who can fight back for a change.”

Layla turned to stare at him, wondering who had interfered with her ‘fun’ and giggled insanely. “Naoe,” she breathed, “fancy seeing you here. Now we’ll find out which of us is truly the stronger.” As she spoke an invisible force grabbed Ken round the neck and started to choke him.

Ken gagged, back arching as he was grabbed in the powerful telekinetic's field but it didn't stop him from hurling a ball of eye searing violet flame at Layla.

Layla teleported out of the way and the fireball incinerated one of the corpses instead. Having to move had loosened her grip however and gave Nagi his chance. 

Using his own power to bind her he then proceeded to crush her slowly. “I have her held Ken, char grill the bitch.”

Ken hurled a ball of intense light, a swirling mass of violet and cobalt fire that hit Layla in the chest and spread across her, wreathing her in a spectacular burst of flames that covered her in an instant and then turned her into drifting ash.

Gasping, holding his throat, Ken sank to his knees, struggling to breathe.

Nagi crouched down by his lover lifting his chin and inspecting his neck. If the bitch had crushed his larynx… Luckily the damage seemed to be superficial with Ken’s Adam’s apple seemingly intact. He was hoping it was just bruising.

“Can you speak at all, Kenken?”

Ken tried but the only sound that came out was a choked gasp. He shook his head, eyes pleading. He threw his arms around Nagi, held on tight, his breath rasping. It showed that his larynx hadn't been crushed or he couldn't have drawn a breath, but his throat was bruised inside and out.

He coughed softly, turned his head and spit out blood.

“We need to get you back to Kai. Can you hold on that long?”

Ken nodded, sucked in a gasping breath and pressed his forehead to Nagi's, he tried to speak but gave up. It just hurt too much. He got up and shoved Nagi aside as a hunk of burning ceiling came down where the telekinetic had been standing. It hit Ken and the brunet staggered but stepped out of the inferno with smoking clothes but no other damage.

He gave his lover a grin, teeth stained with blood and mouthed, "We should go."

A frightened wail reminded Nagi of the little girl they had saved and he teleported her out of the mess and into a safer area. “Go outside,” he told her. “It’s not safe inside.” She nodded solemnly before turning and running for the exit.

“We’d better follow her,” Nagi said to Ken.

He nodded and followed the child out of the building. They had just stepped out into the night when a low groan came from the building and a section of the roof caved in with a roar.

"Fools fools!" Erik snapped as they hurried through the burning building. "Berger and Layla are already dead. They're of no use!"

His team trotted along with him, he looked at the leopard-boy, "Take point, you're going to encounter your twin. I want you to kill him."

Grinning the leopard-human nodded and ran ahead of the others to do as Lord Erik commanded.


	13. Chapter 13

Zeshin stalked down the corridor in Aya's wake. He was covered in blood from a battle against some teenaged psychics, but none of it was his own.

Ahead of him Aya came to a sudden halt as Geisl stepped from the shadows. Another low boom marked Crashers doing their work.

Geisl chuckled softly and sent a ball of fire directly at Aya. The redhead managed to divert some of it with his katana but still gasped in pain as it struck his left hip. He collapsed groaning and Geisl stepped forward to finish the job.

"Bastard," Zeshin snarled and jumped, the leap carrying him over Aya as he collapsed, the young man slamming into the pyrokinetic’s body with enough force to take Geisl off his feet.

Claws flashed in the lurid glare of the burning complex and painted Zeshin's face with shadows and light his features contorted into an animalistic snarl of unfettered rage.

Geisl only had time to glance up before Zeshin slammed into him and he went down. He lifted a hand to fry the beast, one he recognised as the twin to the one Erik kept, but it was too late and the creature was upon him.

Zeshin tore out his throat and bounded away from the dying pyro, hurrying to Aya. "How bad?" he asked as he knelt beside the older man. He could smell burned cloth, and flesh.

Aya hissed in pain. “Not as bad as it could be,” he said through gritted teeth. “I think the bastard was trying to fry me.”

"Yes, he was trying to kill you Aya." The boy stated as he pulled a tiny first aid kit from his pocket and opened it. "I have some burn salve. I thought it would be useful," he told the older man quietly, head bowed as he offered the tube to his former lover.

Aya reached for the tube but winced when he tried to move. “I think I need your help until I can get to Kai.”

Zeshin nodded. "We've met our objective, more or less," the boy stated and squeezed a good amount of the salve into his hand. "This may hurt, but it will help reduce the pain until we can find Brad and Kai."

He applied the salve as gently as he could.

Aya screamed as Zeshin applied the salve to the burn. Being a burn created by magic the salve was having very little effect. He grasped Zeshin’s arm. “Leave it. Let’s get out of here. I’m going to need your help, Zen.”

At the sound of Aya's cry of pain Zeshin had frozen in place, shoulders hunched as if expecting a blow. "Forgive me, Aya-san," he whispered and wiped the rest of the salve on his mission coat.

Leopard graceful, he stood and offered Aya his hand.

Aya took the outstretched hand and used it to haul himself to his feet. Once upright he brushed some hair from Zeshin’s face and smiled at the boy. “There’s nothing to forgive, Zen. Thank you.” Keeping a hold on the cat boy to aid his movements he limped towards the door.

They didn't get far.

A pair of gold eyes reflected the light. Below the eyes was a feral smile. "So you're the one that escaped RK's hold."

Zen stepped in front of Aya, a low growl vibrating in his throat as another leopard boy, nearly identical to him moved into the light from a window.

Outside a rolling boom echoed between the damaged buildings.

* * *

Schuldig’s head came up with a jerk. “Aya and Zen are in trouble, Farf. Let’s go!”

Yohji followed as fast as he could, but the telepath left him in the dust, and Farfarello had a nice long lead on him. The two were out the door before he reached it.

He saw Farfarello racing ahead but there was no sign of the German.

"Shit, Brad told us to stay together."

There was a childish giggle not far behind him and he turned to find a small boy, a Farfarello in miniature, standing in the shadow of a tall shrub.

"Hello, Goliath," he whispered, and gave another almost manic giggle before lunging for Yohji, the glint of steel in both his fists.

* * *

"Lord Erik sent me to kill you." The leopard boy stated as he stepped further into the light. He was better than twenty feet away when he abruptly launched himself at them, Zeshin leaping to meet him in mid-air.

They fell to the ground in a snarling clawing mass that rolled and struggled across the floor.

Blood streaked the tiles. Zeshin fought in silence, not so his counterpart who yowled his rage.

Schuldig reached them first and used his telepathy to try reaching both leopard boys’ minds.

Zeshin felt Schuldig's contact, but couldn't let it distract him from the fight, not without risking his life. His almost twin was smaller, but he was every bit as strong and just a little faster.

He had hold of both the other leopard-boy's wrists, but fangs were sunk into his arm, savaging him as they struggled.

Schuldig felt Farfarello arrive and stepped aside so he could see the problem. Aya was staring at him, a frown on his face. “Where’s Yohji?”

Farfarello glanced behind him. "He's slow. It's all the damn smoking he does." The Irishman glanced at the struggling snapping pair, reached down and got hold of the smaller one, gripping his face and forcing his jaw open.

Snarling and clawing, the smaller boy struggled to get free of Zeshin's hold, feet flailing, he connected with Zeshin's jaw and sent him staggering.

But the boy wasn't going anywhere, not with Farfarello's strong arms wrapped around his body.

He used the back of his head, cracked it into Farf's nose but Berserker felt nothing but the crunch.

"Keep that up me little lad and I'll beat the shit out of you."

"ROROOOWERRRRR!" the boy screamed and flailed harder, ripping at Farf's arms with his claws, sending a shower of blood to the floor.

There wasn't a second warning. Farfarello slammed the boy bodily into the floor so hard it cracked tile.

A hurt mewling sound came from the leopard boy and he lay still on the floor, eyes wide, mouth gaping open as he struggled to breathe.

"That should take the fight out of the little bastard," Farf commented, his gaze on Aya. "You're hurt bad aren't you?" He could smell the stink of burnt meat so he wasn't really asking, he knew.

Aya nodded. “We came across Geisl. Zen dealt with him.” His eyes kept straying back the way Schuldig and Farfarello had come from. Yohji wasn’t normally this slow. He glanced at Schuldig, who sent out a mental search for the blond. When he found him he sighed. 

“Farf’s other offspring waylaid him.”

Zeshin got to his feet, coughing from being kicked in the belly. "We better go help Yohji," he gasped out.

"I'll go," Farfarello said.

"Don't bother," Yohji told them as he came in with a struggling wire bound child under his arm.

“That’s two of them accounted for,” Schuldig observed, “now where are the other three?”

"Well this little shit says they're looking for Brad. I'd guess the terrible trio are going to try and off daddy," Yohji replied as the child in his grasp struggled. He slipped him out from under his arm and gave his butt a good smacking then returned him to the indignity of being carried like a package.

The boy gave them a sullen glare.

"Another of my brats," Farfarello remarked and leaned in close to get a good look at the child. "Cloned me, that's what they did."

The boy tried to bite him and he stood up, laughing. "Keep a good hold on him, Kudoh, I don't want him to bite off anything important."

Yohji was looking at his lover. "Aya, do you want me to help you, I'm stronger than the kid."

"I have him," Zen snarled and put his arm around Aya's waist on the side where he wasn't burned.

"Easy Zen," Farfarello soothed as he picked up the other leopard boy.

“I’ll be fine,” Aya almost snarled at Yohji. “Let’s leave the others to Brad and Kai and get the fuck out of here.”

“Good thinking,” Schuldig agreed. “Let me put the little one to sleep before he gets any big ideas.”

* * *

Frau Heimlich frowned at the destruction all around her. This was more than a dormitory riot, much more, but she couldn’t see just how Crawford could have engineered this. She stalked through the carnage like a predatory beast sniffing out her prey. 

The woman came around a corner and ended up face to face with a pistol, a long arm with a man in a costly suit at the end of it. "Not the way you expected things to go, is it?" he asked calmly.

“Crawford,” she spat out. “I had a feeling Erik was too damned arrogant about being able to stop you.”

She glanced past him to see a young man with purple hair carrying spinning sai. The biokinetic they had so wanted to keep for themselves. Well if they couldn’t have him…

She sent a bolt of electrical energy straight at the young man.

Brad didn't hesitate, he fired the pistol and stepped into the incoming electrical bolt knowing he'd survive it, while Kai would not.

The charge hit him and he couldn't stop the scream that tore free as his body convulsed.

Shuddering Crawford collapsed, heart struggling, mind full of black static.

Erik entered the corridor from behind them, a smirk so like those his father wore curling his lips that the father/son relationship was unmistakable.

The woman collapsed in surprise as she died, the bullet having found her heart on its way through her body.

Kai turned to face the new threat alone.

Erik studied the man kneeling in the corridor. This was the first time he'd ever seen his father in anything but a picture.

Alec stepped into the corridor with Lizette right behind him, the girl pushing her glasses up and peering at the two people in the corridor.

"So that's him?"

"That's him," Alec agreed.

"We going to kill him?"

"No," Eric replied. "We don't need to, all we need to do is keep his buttboy from saving his life and he'll be dead in under a minute."

Kai frowned at the words and reached out a hand to touch Brad, sending him healing energy through the touch. The other was still spinning a sai.

“One step closer and you’ll get this in the gut.”

"Who said we needed to be close?" Erik asked then tapped Alec's hand.

The young psychic reached out with his mind, delivering a vicious mental attack that struck at Kai like a cerebral hammer blow.

Schuldig told the others to carry on without him and doubled back. He’d seen Brad’s mental shields crumble which meant the pre-cog was in trouble. A mental blast followed by a cry of pain had him using his enhanced speed. 

He turned a corner to find himself behind the three missing kids and further down the corridor Kai was clutching his head and Brad was on his knees. He grabbed Alec’s mind with his and sent the order to sleep. The boy collapsed immediately. Schuldig grabbed Erik’s mind next and held the boy still.

But like his father, Erik had tough shields and though he couldn't do much, he managed to turn around, his movements stiff, like a badly worked puppet.

His sister cowered away from the tall telepath, her eyes huge behind the thick lenses of her glasses, mouth open in an "o" of terror.

Schuldig pressed against the boy’s shields until he forced his way in. He still had some idea of trying to save the kid as he was so like his father, but what he found behind those shields made him long for a hot bath. Brad had been right, the only thing this thing needed was death.

He sent the mental attack quietly and without any of his usual flamboyance and gave the boy an aneurism. Erik collapsed, twitching and Schuldig turned his attention to the girl. “You going to behave or do I have to deal with you too?”

But she just sank down beside her brother's body and started to cry, her hands gripping his shoulders and shaking him. "Please don't die, Erik. I love you, please don't die."

Leaving the girl to her grief for the time being, Schuldig made his way to his friends. Kai appeared to be suffering nothing worse than a bad headache and Schuldig quickly removed that. “Help Brad,” he said as soon as Kai could focus again. 

Luckily Kai’s touch on Brad’s shoulder had been enough to keep him from dying and now Kai concentrated his power properly, pouring it into his lover.

Brad groaned and hauled himself to his feet. A trace of blood rimmed his nostrils but beyond that he appeared himself. He pulled Kai close and gave him a gentle hug, "Save the rest for Aya and Ken, they're going to need you."

As he spoke his gaze was on Schuldig. "Erik was everything I'd said he'd be?"

Schuldig nodded. “And worse,” he said with a grimace. “Ack! I feel the need for a hot bath just from being in his head. He glanced at the sleeping Alec and crying Lizette. “Those two aren’t too bad, just misguided.”

"And badly abused by Erik in Alec's case." He looked at the German, "I'll need your help with him Schuldig. He hates me, and with his brother dead, he'll only hate me more."

The girl got to her feet and spun, running at Brad.

"I hate you, I hate you!"

He let Lizette kick at him and slam her little fists into his belly before he caught her up in a powerful hug and just held onto her while she screamed her hate and cried for her loss.

"Let's get this cleaned up and go home."


	14. Chapter 14

Aya wasn’t sorry when Crashers left taking Ramon with them. Good as it had been to see his old team he had moved beyond all that now and simply wanted to spend what promised to be a very long future with his lovers and his friends. 

There were some loose ends to be tied up, like the children, the damned Takatori and Farf’s horse, but he refused to think of any of them whilst comfortably sandwiched between Brad and Yohji with Kai draped across the three of them. It was a good way to wake up in the morning.

Yohji's hand moved, slid along Aya's thigh, met the hand Brad had rested in Aya's crotch. The blond mumbled something incoherent that almost sounded like, "Damn American," and started to snore softly.

Brad opened his eyes. He didn't even have to glance at the clock, he knew what time it was. Sighing he scooted closer to Aya, rose up a little and kissed him on the cheek before relinquishing his hold on Aya's cock and getting out of bed.

His departure woke Yohji who watched him go, then took possession of Aya's dick and closed his eyes.

Crawford was worse than a damn alarm clock. He woke up exactly at five in the morning without failure and it irked Yohji because, for some reason, Brad waking up always woke him up.

Kai mumbled and muttered and shifted about on top of them before his breathing evened out in sleep again. 

Aya smiled to himself and snuggled against Yohji before closing his eyes again.

Brad came back out to find his lovers still asleep. He stood there smiling at them. Three beautiful sexy men and they were his. It did more than make his cock hard, it made his heart hammer.

They'd gotten through the ordeal of RK and now they were close to the lives they wanted.

He walked over to the bed. Kai was on top of Aya, his head on Aya's chest. Yohji pressed to Aya's left side, his forehead touching Kai's.

He stood there watching them for a moment, wishing for a camera, burning the picture they made into his memory instead.

His. They were his and nothing could take them from him. Not ever.

He moved closer to the bed, ran the tip of a finger along Kai's spine, bent down and found Aya's mouth while his free hand found the crack of Yohji's ass and teased inward.

The blond groaned, butt arched toward the finger.

It made him smile, tall and strong Yohji was undeniably an uke at least for them he was and that was all Brad cared about.

Aya’s eyes opened again and he smiled into the kiss he was receiving. Yohji shifted beside him, groaning and Kai sighed contentedly and squirmed around on top of him. It made him instantly hard, all the different sensations.

Brad ended the kiss but his hands moved along Kai's back and he delved deeper into the cleft of the blond's ass.

He leaned close to Aya's ear and whispered, "Want to wake Kudoh up by fucking him?"

Aya thought about that for all of a split second before nodding.

Brad lifted Kai off of his red haired lover and moved him to his side of the bed, then he reached into the nightstand and gave Aya the bottle of lube. There was a sparkle of lust warming his gaze as he sat down on his side of the bed with Kai in his lap.

"I'm going to watch for a bit, if you don't mind. I love watching you fuck him, it's so hot I'm afraid my balls might melt." And Brad actually chuckled at that.

Kai muttered as he was first jostled about and then moved but once he found himself in Brad’s lap his arms went round the older man’s neck. “Can I watch too?” he asked sleepily.

Aya chuckled softly as he thought about the uptight and revenge oriented young man that had first joined Weiss. Somehow he didn’t think that Aya would have been able to do such a thing. Then again, he wasn’t that Aya anymore.

He opened the bottle and smeared the vanilla scented oil over his cock and fingers. Then he reached across Yohji and inserted two fingers into his ass.

Yohji moaned but, deep sleeper that he was, he didn't wake up.

His cock however did, going hard and willing after only two thrusts of Aya's fingers.

Brad bent his head down, eyes still on what Aya was doing he whispered into Kai's ear, "Would you like to fuck Yohji sometime?"

Kai’s eyes widened at the suggestion. When he’d first developed a crush on Yohji he’d always imagined the blond fucking him and so far it had tended to be that way but Brad had let him fuck him that one time and since then he couldn’t get the idea of fucking either Yohji or Aya out of his mind.

“Oh yes,” he breathed. 

Brad's lips brushed the curve of Kai's ear, "He's so damn beautiful isn't he, all sleek and golden." Brad's hands moved over Kai's chest, finger and thumb pinching a nipple gently.

A soft sound slipped from Yohji's parted lips and he mumbled something unintelligible.

Smiling and shaking his head at just what his lover could sleep through, Aya removed his fingers and climbed over him to replace said fingers with something altogether more substantial.

There was a low moan of pure lust from Kai in the background.

Brad reached down between Kai's thighs and started to gently rub the hard cock he found there, lips moving down to the side of Kai's neck. “Aren't they beautiful? Wouldn't you love to put this deep into Yohji, or maybe you'd like to fuck Aya. Tell me Kai, which do you want?”

Kai blushed but still managed to say, “both.”

Yohji's eyes opened, the blond blinking sleepily, giving a quiet sigh of pleasure. “Hmmmm, much better than an alarm clock,” he murmured and reached behind him to grasp a handful of Aya's long red hair. “Come kiss me.”

“Not being a contortionist this is the best I can do,” Aya said before nibbling on Yohji’s neck.

The blond twisted, lifting up on one elbow, craning his neck to look at Aya. “What you've never practiced from the Kama Sutra?” he asked, smirking.

“Kai,” Brad whispered, “remind me to buy a copy of the Gay Kama Sutra first chance we have.” He nipped the side of Kai's neck. “Well right now you can only have one of them, so tell me, which one do you want?”

Kai chuckled softly before surprising Brad by saying, “First one then the other. That is…” He glanced across the bed at Aya who had a brow raised at him. 

“You think you’re man enough for that?” The redhead asked, but there was no animosity in his words. 

Kai glanced up at Brad not prepared to say anything unless he was.

“As for you,” Aya added to Yohji, “come here.” He grabbed a fistful of the golden hair and plundered Yohji’s mouth.

Yohji rolled his hips and moaned into the kiss, lips parting for his lover, the grip in his hair causing just the right amount of pain to pique his interest.

“What about it Kai? Are you enough of a man to fuck that beautiful uke over there? Or do you have the courage to try for the hot bitch who thinks he's a seme? Fuck him good enough and he's as much an uke as Yohji.”

Yohji broke the kiss, “Isn't that the truth?” he quipped.

“Yeah, but it has to be good enough,” Aya said completely straight-faced although his eyes shone with amusement.

Kai smirked, his expression saying clearer than words that he knew something they didn’t.

Yohji turned his head and winked at Kai, showing the younger man that he might suspect certain things.

Oracle smirked and let go of Kai's cock. “That sounded like a challenge.”

“It could be taken as such,” Aya agreed, “besides, why should Kai be everyone’s uke? The rest of us switch.”

“Go on Kai. Can't you tell they both want you as much as I did,” Brad kissed the side of Kai's neck, hand sliding along the younger man's chest, pinching a nipple before he pushed him toward the former Weiss.

Yohji sighed, his hips rocking with the movement of Aya inside him. “Looks like someone else plans to join our little party.”

“Which means you’ll have to shift over,” Aya chuckled close to his ear, “think you’re limber enough for that, Yotan?”

Kai crawled across the bed towards them looking almost predatory.

Yohji grinned at Aya, “Follow me babe, and see just how limber I am,” Yohji replied as he grabbed the sheets and pulled, the muscles in his arms and shoulders standing out in stark relief in the dim lighting of the room.

“Beautiful,” Brad breathed, voice reverent as he watched Yohji pull himself toward the middle of the bed, Aya following along still seating inside the blond's body.

Kai clambered over them somehow and was handed the lube by Aya. The redhead was smiling at him, a distinct challenge in the expression. “Let’s see if you can pick up on our rhythm.”

Kai took the lube and grinned back. “I’ll manage,” he said as he slicked his cock.  
Brad moved closer to Yohji, smiling at the blond. “You look a bit lonely, Kudoh.”

Yohji raised a gold eyebrow. “I do? Could have fooled me, I mean I've got the attention of everyone's favourite bitch, how could I be lonely?”

Brad grasped Yohji's erection and the blond gasped. “you were saying?”

“I was saying how good that feels,” Yohji countered, moaning at the double sensations.

There was an answering groan from Aya as one of Kai’s slick fingers explored his ass. “Oh yeah, that’s good.”

Encouraged, Kai added another and then a third, gently stretching Aya. His cock was lined up with Aya’s opening and he eased himself in, picking up Aya’s rhythm and sending him forward into Yohji.

“I believe we need some lube over at this end,” Brad remarked, as he bent down to claim Yohji's mouth for a kiss. He held his hand out for the lube.

Yohji moaned into Brad's mouth, the feel of a hand on his cock, Aya's erection stroking the best place inside him, the one that gave him exquisite pleasure. He didn't feel the need to fight for dominance, he wanted a cock in him too much to care.

Aya’s eyes widened at the feel of Kai’s cock inside him. Then he smiled, totally at peace with the situation, fucking and being fucked.

Kai gasped at the heat and tightness of Aya’s body but still kept enough presence of mind to place the lube into Brad’s outstretched hand.

“Now it gets really fun,” Brad stated and lubed Yohji's erection before he turned around and lay down close to the blond, scooting back so Yohji could gain entry.

“Oh yeah,” Yohji agreed as he grasped his erection and guided it into the crack of Brad's ass. They both groaned as they moved together, Yohji picking up the group rhythm.

The addition of Brad to the mix changed everyone’s position slightly but neither Kai nor Aya were particularly phased by that fact, Aya going so far as to nudge Yohji’s arm until he was holding Brad’s cock. 

“All that’s missing is a butt plug for Kai,” he said with a smirk.

Yohji groaned, and took a good grip on Brad's erection, stroking it the way the Oracle liked, a bit too tight to give just a hint of pain. The sensations coursing through his own body making it progressively more difficult for him to think. “Top drawer of the nightstand on your side,” he told Kai.

Brad closed his eyes, the power bleeding off of Yohji soaking into him, the mist that was the precursor to a vision filling his mind.

“Love you all,” he mumbled as the images started to flow into his mind. Flickers of the future. Possible pathways. Potential traps.

Kai reached behind him and opened the drawer without slipping out of Aya or stopping his gentle thrusts. He scrabbled around in it until he found what he was looking for and handed it to Aya.

“You put it in please, Aya.”

Aya reached across Yohji to snag the lube and coated the plug before reaching behind Kai to insert it. The satisfied moan was all the thanks he needed.

Yohji moaned, caught between Aya and Brad, the pleasure of being with his lovers so intense he didn't think he would last much longer.

“Faster, please,” he gasped.

Brad laughed as images of the group of them lazing on a tropical beach filled his mind with gentle warmth. Yohji was running along the beach with Aya on his heels, screaming 'Shi-ne Kudoh,' the front of his shirt soaking wet.

Aya gasped as Kai hit his sweet spot over and over again, while the tight heat of Yohji clenched around him. He’d never been so contented in all his life as he was now. He had three gorgeous lovers, his sister was safe and with a man he could trust and he had friends, real friends in the rest of the team.

As for Kai, far from being Kritiker’s slave, he now belonged completely to the three men in front of him, each of them unique, each of them special.

Brad started to moan, his body responding though his mind was far away, viewing a future he craved. Peace and contentment for them all.

Yohji stroked Brad's cock faster, harder as the pace of the cock inside him picked up. He couldn't think, and it didn't really matter. He could just feel, let the ecstasy claim him and not worry about what tomorrow would bring. Brad would protect them. He would see them through the final act of violence in their lives and after that.

After that they would be free.

Aya’s deep voice murmured their names on little gasps and pants of pure pleasure. His hands were buried one in Yohji’s hair the other in Brad’s and he was surrounded by their familiar scents. It was all becoming too much yet he didn’t want it to end.

Kai picked up his pace a little, the butt plug stroking his prostate with every thrust into Aya.

“Please, can't take much more,” Yohji gasped, his body gone tense, eyes closing.

Brad was moaning, fully lost in the future, his body responding to the here and now.

It ended with a sudden and spasmodic chain reaction as they all came almost simultaneously, collapsing against each other with sated moans.

Yohji wrapped his arms around Brad and pulled him close. He knew from the way the dark haired man had cried out that Brad was off in the world of visions.

Aya felt Yohji’s shields clang into place so he knew Brad would come back to them very soon. He gave a last stroke to Yohji’s hair before pulling out of him and collapsing against Kai.

The younger man’s arms went round him in a tender embrace which he found soothing enough to be able to go back to sleep, until he remembered the plug. Reaching back he eased it gently out of Kai’s body and felt him relax once it was removed.

Yohji's mind drifted along in the golden glow that always filled his mind after good sex. And with his lovers it was always good. He drifted from the gold to the greyness at the edge of sleep.

Lips found his, kissed him awake and he opened his eyes already knowing from the hard feel of that mouth who it was.

Brad smirked at him. “You look totally charming covered in sand pinned down on the beach by a lovely red-head.”

Aya opened one eye. “Pinned down? What does the idiot do this time?” He shifted position slightly and Kai snuggled against him, smiling.

“Something dumb like dumping a crab on you,” he suggested.

“Hn. Not if he wants to keep all his limbs he doesn’t.”

“Poured a bucket of sea water over you while you were reading,” Brad replied. “You were yelling Shi-ne Kudoh, but you were laughing as you chased him down the beach. And he let you tackle him.” Brad had a wistful smile on his face. “We were at a hotel in Fiji.”

“How long from now, Brad,” Yohji asked as he brushed the older man's hair from his eyes. He'd never seen Brad's hair so long, and he wondered if the American would let it grow out or get it cut the first chance he got. He honestly hoped Brad planned to let it grow, he liked the feel of it between his fingers.

“If all goes well in Tokyo, we'll be enjoying ourselves on a sunny beach by the end of the month,” the precog replied.

“That soon?” Kai asked, his tone surprised.

“If all goes well, Kai,” Aya reminded the younger man. “And with this particular Takatori being as skilled as we are in assassination it will take some planning and maneuvering to get close enough to him to strike.” When Kai moaned and Yohji glared at him he held up a hand. “I’m just trying to be realistic here.” 

Brad sighed and let Yohji continue to caress his hair, fingertips brushing across his forehead. It felt good to be with his lovers, to be surrounded by them and know they'd come out of the worst of the fire alive, if not unscathed.

“After the things we've faced, Takatori Mamoru won't be terribly challenging,” Yohji remarked. “Considering the powers at our disposal anyway.”

“True, but don't be too sure of ourselves either. That little bastard is full of surprises,” Brad warned.

Aya nodded his head in agreement. “Brad’s right. Also, if he hasn’t dealt with his grandfather and the mysterious cousin, then we have to. I’m not leaving any of those bastards alive.” 

Yohji grunted an acknowledgement of Brad's wisdom and closed his eyes. “Bastards every one of them, and no mistake.” Yohji sighed, rolled to his feet. “I need a drink. Anyone else want anything?”

“A rare steak, baked potato and mushroom gravy and a pot of coffee. Failing that, I'll take a drink of water,” Brad replied.

Yohji chuckled. “The way you eat I'm surprised you don't weigh three hundred pounds, Crawford.”

“The way you get fucked I'm surprised you can walk, Kudoh,” Brad retorted, grinning.

Kai chuckled and curled himself round Aya, resting his chin on the redhead’s shoulder. “I’m pretty certain you have it all planned out, Brad, otherwise you wouldn’t be talking to us about tropical beaches.”

Aya stretched without disturbing Kai too much. “Food sounds like a good idea.”

Yohji picked up a pillow that had fallen on the floor and threw it at Brad who nonchalantly caught it and dropped it over Aya's face, smirking as he did.

“Fine I'll get some jelly from room service and we can put Kai under the heat lamp in the bathroom, smear him with the jelly and call him toast,” Yohji laughed as he pulled on a pair of pants. “And since that's my idea I get the first bite.”

“Impossible,” Brad muttered. “He thinks of nothing but sex. I do believe he's actually worse than Schuldig.”

Aya batted the pillow away before saying, “I wouldn’t like to pick between them on that one. A proper breakfast, Kudoh, if you want to share the bed for the next week or two.”

Kai buried his face in Aya’s shoulder to stifle his giggles at the disappointed look on Yohji’s face.

“Ah well, a guy's gotta try, right?” Yohji asked as he zipped his pants and headed for the door.

“I want that steak rare!” Brad stated as the door closed behind Yohji.

A muted, “Yes master,” came from the other side.

* * *

Later that day, Aya approached Farfarello. “We have a home and land sorted now so we can go and get Cloudy on one condition. I want you to choose some suitable ponies for the children and teach them to ride as you know the most about horses. Personally, I’ll be content with a cat or two.”

Farfarello's expression became thoughtful. “Ponies would be better gotten in our own time period. They aren't all that common where we were in San Francisco but there are lots of them for sale in modern times. That will make it easier on you anyway, won't it Fujimiya?” Farf grinned, “Besides, the brats aren't ready for anything nice. They're still too mad to appreciate them.”

Aya grinned. “The little girl has always wanted a pony, but was never allowed such ‘frivolity’ apparently. I overheard her talking to Alec about it and he was looking wistful too. I’m not sure about your two but those two might come around a bit if they had something like that to occupy them.”

“Maybe those two, but 'my two' as you put it, might just decide to turn them into lunch. They're not very socialized.” Farfarello smirked, “But I'm working on it with some help from their big brother Zeshin.”

Aya’s grin broadened. “Well, let’s deal with Cloudy first then we can try housetraining the brats some more. Are you ready?”

“Whenever you are,” Farfarello replied. “Do you need Kudoh to get us back that far in time? I'd really hate to get lost somewhere and not be able to get back just because we don't have our pretty blond toy with us.”

Aya shook his head. “Not if I’m not taking everyone. I’ve honed my power well enough to manage you and a horse. Shall we?”

He took hold of Farfarello’s hands and concentrated. The air around them wavered and shimmered and they were back in Sacramento, in the yard of the house they had rented with Cloudy standing exactly where they had left him.

Farf reached out his hand and petted the animal's outstretched nose. “Time to go home, Cloudy. You're going to like it in the future. It's a lot cleaner,” he told the horse as he unhitched the reins from the post.

The man's gold eye surveyed their surroundings, taking in the dusty walls of the house that had been their home. He gave Aya a sad little smile. “I sort of miss this time. There were fewer complications and we could be who we are without worrying about Rosen or Esset.”

Aya nodded his agreement. “Yeah, it was the age of the gunslinger but the railway will be built in about twenty years and the west coast will become as civilised as the east.”

An idea occurred to him and he smirked. “We could always come to lawless places and times for vacations whenever we’re feeling…frisky.”

Farfarello grinned. “Yohji's a wonderful gunslinger. It's a shame to make him hang up his guns. I think he'd do really well here.” There was a glitter in Berserker's eyes as he added, “And Brad would be a great cattle baron. I think we should come back here to live. At least part of the time, and because of you, we could be gone for years without missing a second of being here.”

“Not just here, Farf. What about being a Viking? Or a samurai in the days before the shogunate destroyed them? And who knows what wild and lawless places the future might hold?”

The man's eye lit up and he grinned. “I think Brad would very much like to live in Japan before the Tokugawa. You know he loves Japan,” Farfarello replied. “But he might make himself shogun and change history then where would we be?”

He looked Aya up and down, “You'd make a beautiful samurai, Fujimiya. All the men would want you.”

“Three of them is enough for anyone,” Aya said. The old Aya would have taken offence, but he’d learned enough to know that Farfarello was paying him a compliment. 

“I don’t think we need ever be bored with time and all worlds as our oyster.”

“Very true. Let's go home. We've got some loose ends to tie up then we can get on with living life, whichever one we want, to the fullest.”

He patted the horse on the neck. “Time to shake the dust of the 19th Century off your hooves Cloudy.”

“Okay, keep a hand on his neck and I’ll get us home.” Aya placed a hand on Cloudy’s withers and took them forward in time. There was the usual sense of disorientation but they arrived safely and the horse seemed none the worse for the strange journey.

Farfarello hopped onto the grey horse and nodded to Aya. “Thanks, Fujimiya. I'm going for a bit of a ride around the property. Tell Brad I'll be back before it's time to leave.”

Aya nodded in return and waved before entering the house to find Brad.

His lover was sipping coffee, standing by the window of his office looking out over the back yard. A pleased smirk played at the edges of his lips. He turned to face Aya, placing the cup of coffee on his desk. "Tonight is the big political rally that all three of the Takatori will attend. Are you ready to carry out our final mission my beautiful killer?"

Aya walked into his arms and hugged him tightly. “More than ready. Just promise me that Mamoru is mine and the rest of you can kill whoever you like.”

Brad pulled him close. "Haven't I said you get to do whatever you like to the man who betrayed all three of you? Ken had his chance and failed. Yohji won't touch Mamoru because," Brad frowned, "he can't. He keeps hoping Omi will return, but we both know that won't ever happen."

The American pressed his face into Aya's hair, inhaling the scent of his lover. "That leaves you to exact vengeance, not only for the three of you, but for Zeshin as well."

Aya nuzzled at Brad’s shoulder his arms tightening in a fierce hug. “I knew Omi was gone when the Ani Museum sank. I mourned him then for three solid months. He’ll never return and I’m resigned to that. Mamoru is a bastard that has to die. He’s become one of the very dark beasts he used to hunt. That’s without the way he treated his supposed family or the others in his employ. I bet Zeshin isn’t the only one he’s fucked over.”

"Probably not, but he's the only one, other than the three of you, that matters to me." Brad held Aya close, the flesh of his cock stiffening at the closeness of his lover. He wanted Aya, but, much as he wanted to bend his lover's sleek body over his desk, now wasn't the time.

"You'll be able to take us all back to Tokyo without undue strain?" He stood back and brushed a stray lock of the deep red hair away from Aya's face, loving the feel of both the man's skin and hair under his fingers.

“With a little strength from Yohji, yes, easily,” Aya replied. “Farf and I were talking about vacations in dangerous times and places if we get too bored with the good life.”

Brad chuckled at that. "Farf is addicted to the adrenaline rush of the chase and the kill. I hope to wean him off of it, but," he shrugged, "if not we can let him off his leash elsewhen." He gave Aya a gentle kiss. "You'd make a lovely warlord in some barbaric time period."

Aya shrugged. “Possibly, but you’d always be a civilizing influence.” He frowned and looked up at his lover. “Do you think we’ve all become addicted to killing?”

"You, Nagi and Kudoh, no. I'm not sure about Ken. And Farf and Schuldig both enjoy it, I won't even try to deny that." 

“I think you might be wrong about me, Brad. I feel alive when I kill, so alive it’s almost as good as sex.”

"It's not the killing with you, it's the danger. Don't get them confused, Aya." He lowered his head and kissed soft lips, felt them part for his tongue. He took what was his, his embrace tight, as possessive as the kiss.

He kissed Aya until he was breathless then lifted his head to look into lust warmed violet eyes. "As least you didn't say it was better than sex," Brad teased.

Aya chuckled. “Not better, no. I think you’ll need to make certain I get plenty of sex from now on.”

"Once we're done tonight, you can damn well believe I plan to make up for lost time." Brad grinned. "Not that 'lost time' is an issue for us anymore."

Aya grinned. “Sounds promising.” He sighed and pulled back from the embrace. “I guess we’d better get ready.”

"Yes, I guess we should." Brad caressed Aya's cheek. "Yohji's taking a nap. Why don't you go wake him up? I'll go and get everyone else moving."

“Oh great, saddle me with waking Kudoh up! You kept the easy job for yourself!” But Aya was smiling as he spoke. “Farf’s out on his horse.”

The Oracle leaned in and gave Aya a gentle kiss. “You know you like waking him up, it's just too bad we don't have time for more than that, isn't it?” he whispered, his lips brushing Aya's, half-kissing him as he spoke.

Aya smirked. “Especially as I have to get Kai into a woman’s kimono complete with fancy obi. But a fan will get in easier than any other weapon. Besides, I think he likes the idea of going in drag.”

Brad stepped away. "Let's get this over with. I'm looking forward to cold drinks and a good book on a nice beach in the tropics."

Aya chuckled and headed for the bedroom and a sleeping Yohji. He stopped just inside the door and studied the handsome man on the bed as he remembered all the times that Yohji had kept him sane. Then he crossed the room and shook a shoulder. “Come on Sleeping Beauty, show time.”

Yohji groaned, opened bleary eyes and sat up, hand reaching for cigarettes that weren't on the bed side table. "I need a smoke," he muttered.

“They’re outside, where you left them.”

Yohji sighed, closed his eyes and flopped limply into the bed. "I don't want to get up," he muttered. "If you love me you'll go get them for me." A thin rim of green watched him from mostly closed eyelids.

Aya shook his head. “No. As I love you, I’m trying to make you cut down at least. I don’t think Kai wants to deal with lung cancer in either you or Schu, but especially you.”

"Aya, please give it a rest, just this once. By the time today is over I'm going to be exhausted, don't add me being in a foul mood to the mix," Yohji said. "I promise after this is over I'll quit. I'm tired of the three of you nagging me anyway."

Aya leaned forward and kissed his lover. “We’ll see. But you’re going to have to get them for yourself. I have an obi to deal with.”

Yohji caught Aya's wrists and kept him from leaving, the blond giving Aya a hungry, demanding kiss.

Aya returned the kiss before pulling away with a murmured, “later. Go get your smokes and get ready.” 

"Right. Later your ass is mine," Yohji grinned and rolled out of bed, reaching for his jeans. "And after you I think I'll have a nice piece of firm American ass."

Aya grinned and went in search of Kai. Brad would never let Yohji have his ass unless he’d earned the privilege.

Yohji pulled a shirt on and with it unbuttoned and flapping open, he wandered out to find his cigarettes. He glanced toward the kitchen and spotted Ken puttering around getting himself a sports drink and making a sandwich.

Further proof that the former soccer player was a bottomless pit which no amount of food could fill.

"Is there more of that stuff?" Yohji asked him as he scooped his smokes up off one of the living room tables and headed into the kitchen.

"Yeah, there's more. Might as well eat it, we probably won't be coming back here for a while." Ken frowned. "Or we might be back here in a few hours. I have no idea what Crawford is planning."

"Me either," Yohji remarked as he grabbed a cold soda from the fridge. What he really wanted was a beer, but he knew better than to get one. If Aya didn't beat his ass bloody, Brad would.

"Feeding your face again, Kenken?" Schuldig entered the kitchen and helped himself to one of Yohji's cigarettes. "I'm surprised you're not enormous."

Ken glared at Schuldig. "I'm a freak remember?" he snarled at the German.

Yohji put a hand on his team mate. "Take it easy, Ken. Same side, remember?"

"He started it," Ken retorted, twisting so he broke free of Yohji's hold.

"Schu, leave him alone, okay? You don't nag me about how much I eat, don't nag Ken. Besides, Nagi might squash you like a bug if you piss him off for picking on his boy."

“Sheesh! Can’t tease anyone anymore. I’ll come back when you two are happier, ja?”

"Schu you know Ken hates being teased," Yohji reminded the German as he caught the red-head and pulled him into his arms. "Now behave or I might have to spank you."

A bright gleam lit Yohji's eyes when he mentioned spanking Schuldig.

“You might have to catch me first!”

"Pervs, both of you," Ken muttered as he took his sandwich and drink and fled the kitchen.

Schuldig laughed. “He’s so innocent.”

Yohji laughed. "Try peeking into his mind sometime," he whispered into Schuldig’s ear, warm breath tickling the German's skin. "He's no more innocent than you are, he just fakes it better."

Schuldig nodded. “That’s true enough. He’s just monogamous. I guess we should get ready for tonight’s little party.”

"Yeah, more fun and games." Yohji let him go, sighed. "I wish there were a better way to deal with this mess."

“Ack, come on, you know we have to clear up the Takatori loose ends. And it’s the perfect opportunity to see Kai in kimono.” Schuldig leered.

"Ah yes, Kai in kimono. He's so beautiful. Too bad it won't be Aya, I think he'd look amazing."

Schuldig acknowledged the truth of that before having a thought. “I can scramble their brains easily enough but I think Aya will want to use his katana. Do I have to get it overlooked?”

"I think we can figure it out on our own. Aya's gotten that thing into places with better security."

“What thing?” Aya asked from the doorway. Both Yohji and Schuldig gasped at the sight of him. He was resplendent in a silk kimono the exact colour of his eyes. It was decorated with white cranes and the wide obi matched the cranes.

His eartails were swept up with fancy combs and his face was discreetly made up.

"Oh my..." Yohji's ability to speak failed. He swallowed, but his mouth had gone dry as lust stiffened his cock.

Brad came out, dressed in his best Versace, platinum and diamonds glittering at his cuffs. "Kudoh, why in hell aren't you dressed?"

Aya reached up and adjusted Brad’s tie just a smidgeon. “There that’s better. Kudoh you have two minutes to get changed or I’m going without you.”

Kai glided in next in pale pink kimono covered with sakura in a deeper pink and a deep pink obi. His violet hair was also swept up and held with long pins. His nose stud was missing but in its place diamonds glittered in his ears.

Yohji couldn't breathe, but his heart began to hammer, his cock felt as if it would burst through his pants.

"One minute and forty-five seconds, Kudoh," Brad stated.

The blond killer shook himself and bolted for the bedroom.

Smirking, Brad glanced at Kai, "I was right, the combination was too much."

Aya smiled almost dazzling Schuldig. “It had the desired effect certainly.”

Yohji returned to them with two seconds to spare, the lanky blond dressed in a tailored pair of trousers and an understated jacket, but underneath was a glaring paisley shirt in green and white. Over it he had his duster from their time in San Francisco. A new watch gleamed on his wrist, and his ears glinted with emeralds.

"Let's go," Brad said and they headed for the door.


	15. Chapter 15

The party was tedious as only political parties could be. Kai wasn’t sure why politicians were convinced all their appalling jokes were so funny. He helped himself to some nibbles from the buffet, careful not to smudge his lipstick as he ate them and took a glass of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter.

Takatori Mamoru was surrounded by a dense crowd, whilst old man Saijou held court in another part of the room. Behind his wheelchair was a stocky young man with more than a passing resemblance to the former prime minister. This then must be the missing cousin.

Kai saw the young man notice him and remembered to smile seductively in his general direction.

The young man smiled at him, bent down to whisper into the old man's ear, then he was crossing the room, heading toward Kai the way a bee flew toward flowers.

Kai watched him come and was hard put not to shudder in revulsion. Instead he pulled the fan from his obi and unfurled it, using it to cover most of his face. Only his eyes peeped out from over the top of it.

"Hello, beautiful, I'm Takatori Rejiro, what's your name?" the young man asked.

“Sanada Keiko,” Kai said softly. “Another Takatori? You must be very proud of Takatori Mamoru.”

"I'll be just as important as he is some day," Rejiro stated confidently, "maybe even more important." He smiled, trying to be charming but failing, the lust glittering in his eyes turning the smile predatory.

“Ambition seems to be a family trait,” Kai observed, moving the fan as if he were overheated.

"So is an attraction to all things beautiful. Would you come and talk to me outside where it's less noisy? There's a lovely garden on the terrace just out those doors," he said, indicating a pair of doors not far away.

Kai hid his smile behind the fan. _Perfect, away from the crowds and noise and nobody will notice for quite a while._

*Schu, I’ve found the hidden cousin and will dispose of him in the terrace garden. Just make sure I don’t miss the main event.*

*Don’t worry, Kai. They need to deal with old man Saijou first. Don’t let that little prick touch you. Ack, his mind is like a sewer!*

Taking Kai by the hand, Rejiro led him to the terrace.

A pair of green eyes narrowed as they went by, but Yohji didn't move from where he stood, leaning against the wall about twenty feet away from Saijou, biding his time, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

*Kai’s going to deal with the horny little cousin in the garden where there are no witnesses, so don’t worry about him Yotan. That fan is a lethal weapon and he’ll be quick. He wants to be there when Takatori Mamoru gets his. So do we all!*

*I'm working my way closer so I can take out Saijou. I'm going to need a distraction to draw his bodyguard away, so listen for my signal, Schu.*

*Farf, Ken and Nagi have a drunken brawl ready to roll when you are.*

*Works for me,* Yohji replied as he moved away from the wall, tossing the cigarette into a nearby urn. *Let me know when Kai's gotten the cousin out of the way.*

Rejiro wasted no time pulling the beautiful creature into his arms. "Give me a kiss," he said.

Kai pushed the drunken and horny idiot away but not too strongly as he didn’t want to blow his cover. “No,” he said. “I came out here with you to talk and get some fresh air, not to be mauled about.”

"I'm an important man. I'm rich too. I can make it worthwhile for you to be nice to me," Rejiro said, trying to cajole a kiss from the beautiful creature. "Come on, what's the harm in a little kiss?"

_Dear gods, are all the Takatori so completely stupid? No way I’m going to kiss the ugly little toad!_

“I said ‘no’ and I meant it,” Kai said allowing a little annoyance to creep into his tone.

Rejiro's smile vanished. He grabbed Kai by the wrist and yanked him toward a cluster of potted palms. "And I say yes!"

In a flash the sharp spines of the fan raked across Takatori Rejiro’s throat, cutting it open almost from ear to ear. There was a gurgle, the last sound the young man ever made. “When a lady says ‘no’ she means it,” Kai said to the corpse before checking his kimono for any splashes of blood. There were none.

He wiped the spines of the fan on Rejiro’s jacket, furled it and tucked it in his obi before producing its twin and leaving the garden. *All done here, Schu. Did I miss anything?*

*Nein, Liebling, if you’re quick you’ll see the old man die.*

A full scale battle between two ostensibly drunken men erupted near the buffet table, Farf and Ken exchanging punches that would have taken down most business men on the first shot. Nagi, the apparent object of their affections, stood to one side ready to handle any security that came to break the fight up too soon.

Saijou's bodyguard headed for the conflict at a nod from the old man.

Yohji moved in for the kill, the wire a faint glimmer under the lights. He had it around the old man's neck, bending down to whisper. "You didn't think we'd forgive you for what you've done to Omi, did you?"

Saijou stared up into uncompromising green eyes and shuddered. Weiss! He should have taken care of them personally when he’d had the chance. He glanced round looking for help only to find that he was blocked from the rest of the room by a redheaded woman in kimono and a tall man in an expensive suit. 

The woman looked familiar but he couldn’t place her. It was the man he recognized. Crawford of Schwarz. He knew he was doomed even before the wire tightened.

"You made them monsters. And the last of your twisted creations will die with you, Takatori Saijou. You killed Omi, we're here to kill Mamoru, and send another dark beast to hell," Yohji told him as he pulled the wire tighter and tighter, letting the anger over Omi's loss take control.

The old man spluttered out his last breath just as he recognised the ‘woman.’ Fujimiya. He hadn’t managed to get even one of them. Then there was nothing.

Aya nodded his approval to Yohji and even added a slight smile. “Let’s get the last of them.”

Yohji reeled in the wire. "Yeah, let's do this."

By the buffet Farfarello and Ken were leaning on one another, exchanging punches and snarling like a pair of angry dogs.

"I hope they aren't going at it for real," Yohji remarked when he noticed blood on Ken's face.

*Theatrical blood bags, Yotan. They’re hardly touching each other.* Schuldig’s mental voice was soothing. *We all want to see the grand finale after all.*

*Well no one told me about those,* Yohji thought.

Across the room Farfarello and Ken hit the floor, rolling and snarling like a pair of wounded wolves.

*Schu, if they want to be in for the kill they need to stop fighting,* Aya’s mental touch was coolly amused. *Kai’s returned from the terrace.*

*Farf, Ken, playtime’s over boys. Time to deal with Takatori Mamoru,* Schuldig sent to the two on the floor.

The two men stopped their battle, wiping fake blood off of themselves. Farfarello's amber eye glittered with amusement and none of them could miss the hard line of an erection inside his pants.

Ken blushed and quickly turned away.

Schuldig snickered and sent a mental message to Brad. *Where do you want me to send the little prick. Obviously out of this scrum and somewhere Aya can use his katana but I haven’t spotted anywhere suitable.*

Brad pushed his glasses up. *Down the hallway, second door on the right. It's empty and will work for our purposes.*

Schuldig concentrated and Takatori Mamoru excused himself from the crowd gathered round him and headed down the hallway. He opened the second door on the right and stepped inside, turning on the light. “Odd, there is no phone in here,” he said aloud and turned ready to leave.

He came to a sudden halt as he came face to face with Schwarz. Aya being dressed in kimono confused him until the redhead retrieved his katana from underneath it.

“If anyone wants to say anything to this piece of shit, say it now,” Aya said in tones as icy as Antarctica.

“Betrayal has a price,” Yohji said from where he stood beside Brad.

Mamoru’s eyes widened in horror. “I… I did what my grandfather wanted. Blame him!” He searched the faces, looking for one that might show some compassion. Ken? No, he’d already attempted to kill him once. Nagi? No his face bore an expression similar to Crawford’s and Aya’s. Bengal! He stared at Bengal. “When did I ever betray you, Kai-kun?”

Kai thought he was going to throw up.

Zeshin stepped from behind the others. “You betrayed all of us, Mamoru,” the leopard boy said, his voice hard as steel. “And for such betrayal there can be only one price, and that price is death.”

Mamoru’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “I became a dark beast.” He reached for something in his sleeve.

Aya knew that movement well and swung the katana. 

Mamoru’s fingers reached the dart just as his head parted company with his body.

“Takatori, shi-ne!”

Epilogue

Brad paused at the entrance to the terminal. As always he was impeccably dressed in a designer suit, though his glasses had been discarded almost a decade ago after he'd been treated for his visual defect. “Does everyone have their ticket?”

Yohji checked his pocket, and nodded.

“Got mine,” Ken stated.

Farf held his up so Brad could see it. He too had undergone changes since the fall of their enemies. Two golden eyes gazed at Brad from a face minus any trace of scarring.

Aya, hair now in a neat, waist-length braid nodded and smiled, his arm round Kai’s trim waist.

Kai too had changed over the years. Gone was the gawky boy with the punk clothes replaced by a confident young man with shoulder length violet hair. The only thing remaining from his punk goth days was the nose stud although now it was a river diamond that shone in his nose.

Zeshin took Aya-chan's purse from her because she had her hands full with their trio of children. The girl stuck her tongue out giving her brothers a dirty look while the two younger boys did their best to get free so they could run.

“That's enough,” Zeshin told them, Farf's son whipping them into shape with the sound of his voice alone. “We have our tickets, papa-san,” he said to Brad.

Alec, a grown man now, his hair as bright a red as Schuldig's own mop of hair, and almost as long, nodded to acknowledge his father's question. Lizette, also grown up, smiled and bobbed her head. “Yes daddy.”

One of the boys managed to wriggle out of his mother’s hold only to be caught and held by Nagi‘s power. “Not a good idea Ichiro-kun. I have my ticket,” he told Brad. 

Aya-chan smiled. “Thanks, Nagi. No telling what he might get up to if he got away.”

Schuldig, his sunset hair as messy as ever and even longer than Aya’s, waved his ticket under Brad’s nose. “All present and correct, Vater.”

Brad levelled a stare on Schuldig. “Never forget I know where you sleep,” he remarked, smiling, “and with whom.”

Farfarello smirked.

“The shuttle to the Transgalactic Liner, Vestal Star will be boarding at gate seven in thirty minutes. Passengers are asked to please make their way to gate seven. Platinum class passengers are asked to board at gate six in fifteen minutes. Thank you for using Transgalactic for all your space travel needs.”

“And that would be us,” Yohji remarked. “Brad, don't you think picking a ship called the Vestal anything seems a bit odd for this bunch?”

Farfarello chuckled and Lizette giggled at Yohji's remark.

“Leave it to Yohji,” Ken commented as he put his arm around Nagi.

Nagi snuggled against his lover while keeping a telekinetic hold on Ichiro who was showing an unhealthy interest in a souvenir shop filled with toys.

“Yeah, he can’t help being crass,” Aya remarked although he was grinning.

“Well at least we’re not heading for a ‘virgin’ planet,” Schuldig said and caused everyone to groan.

“That's the gate up there,” Yohji said. “I'm really looking forward to a change of scenery.”

“You're sure they have horses there?” Farf asked. He still missed Cloudy, but the faithful horse had been dead for decades and there were few left on Earth these days.

“Yes,” Brad replied.

Aya nodded his agreement to Yohji’s words. Earth was getting more and more crowded and he wanted to be somewhere or some when with less people and more open spaces. If there were lawless elements or a way of making some money even better. It would give them something to do.

Ichiro, having given up on trying to break Nagi’s gentle hold on him contented himself with making faces at his siblings. Aya-chan sighed in exasperation. “Ichiro, please behave.”

“If this doesn't prove a cure for the boredom of recent years, we can always return to Earth and take a jaunt into the past,” Brad said as they reached the gate.

A smiling pair of attractive women greeted them. “Welcome aboard, Mr. Crawford. I hope you and your family enjoy your trip,” they said in unison.

“We're looking forward to it,” he told them as he handed his ticket over and stepped through the gate.

Yohji motioned Aya and Kai to go ahead, the blond staying behind to help Aya-chan and Zeshin with the kids.

“Hai, papa-san,” the boy replied, his tone a little sullen. Ichiro had taken after his father in looks, silver white hair and amber gold eyes, but the origin of his unruly temperament was up for debate. 

Aya followed Brad through the gate, arm still round Kai. “I hope there’s plenty for kids to do on the liner or my niece and nephews are going to become unbearable.”

Kai chuckled. “According to the brochure there’s plenty for everyone to do, no matter what their interests.”

Aya nodded. “That’s true. Just as well, really.”

Aya-chan got her daughter and the elder of her two sons onto the shuttle before turning to help Yohji with her youngest. Ichiro was a rare handful, especially when as excited as he was now.

Ichiro balked at the gate and tried to evade the grasping hands of the adults around him, trying to head for the souvenir shop, determined to have a toy.

Yohji solved the boy's stubborn refusal to board by swinging him up over a shoulder and carrying Ichiro aboard.

Farf followed behind them. “Behave or papa-san's going to get upset and punish you,” he warned.

Ichiro glared at Farf and tried to kick Yohji.

“Ichiro!” Brad snapped. “Do you want me to get out the medicine?”

The boy went completely still.

“Right then,” Yohji said as he put the boy down on the other side of the gate.

They got strapped into seats as the airlock was shut behind them. Still a worrier at heart, Aya did a quick head count before settling into his own seat. Zeshin and his sister and all three of their children, check. Ken and Nagi, check. Alec and Lizette, check. Schuldig and Farfarello, check. His three beautiful lovers, check. 

Satisfied he strapped himself into his seat between Brad and Yohji.

The flight attendant was about to close the airlock but stopped to let a pair of late arrivals on.

Two young men entered, giving the rest of Schwarz sheepish smiles.

“We changed our minds,” the taller of the two young men said. He had the same coloration as the leopard cross.

The shorter man's hair had the same colour, but his eyes were a lighter gold shade. “Sorry we're late. We missed the transit tube and had to take a later one to the terminal.” He gave everyone a nervous smile.

“We are still welcome, aren't we?” Shinjo, the taller man, asked.

“If not we can go back home,” Yens his half brother said.

Farfarello looked to Brad, his gaze hopeful.

Aya nudged his lover. “They obviously kept their tickets for a reason, Brad.” 

“If I hadn't wanted them along, I wouldn't have given them tickets,” Brad said, stating what he thought should be more than obvious.

“We can stay?” Shinjo asked.

“I believe I just said so,” Brad replied.

“Thanks!” they replied and took seats near Farfarello and Schuldig.

The flight attendant closed the door.

We're all together, Brad thought. Next stop, a new world. One that's never known Kritiker or Esset, or Rosenkreuz. One where we can be a family.


End file.
